(Los Angeles, CA) — On Friday, February 6th, Assemblymember Jessica Caloza (D-Los Angeles) calls out Home Depot’s lies and demands accountability for their eviction of a local day laborers center, Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA), that has long operated on its property in Cypress Park, leased by Caltrans.
This morning, Assemblymember Caloza was joined by a coalition of nearly 100 community members, day laborers, worker centers, students, unions, and faith leaders to defend and protect the community from the abuses of Home Depot and their complicity with ICE. Home Depot is spreading lies, saying there is no notice of eviction. Our office was notified by Home Depot of the eviction late on Thursday, February 5th.
“The State has been attempting to work with Home Depot in good faith. This eviction is not a coincidence. The Trump Administration has been terrorizing our state and is in our backyards thanks to Home Depot,” said Assemblymember Jessica Caloza. "The rights of immigrants and innocent American citizens are being stripped away before our very eyes. We must stand with IDEPSCA and every single person in our community, especially our undocumented community. Families are living in fear and are being torn apart–we cannot abandon or betray them."
Home Depot is continuing to spread lies, denying the allegations of eviction. This is a lie. Home Depot has been terrorizing the community for the past year, including installing noise devices to get rid of day laborers from their site.
“One of us is lying, and it isn’t us. The reason why Home Depot did not show up with an eviction notice today is because we mobilized the community to stand up and fight back to demand accountability,” said Assemblymember Jessica Caloza.
This decision by Home Depot is a direct attack on day laborers and immigrant communities in the wake of violence by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I urge Angelenos to boycott Home Depot and support our local small businesses, hardware shops, and supply stores. Reach out to your elected officials, make your voices heard, and let’s hold Home Depot accountable,” stated Assemblymember Jessica Caloza.
A coalition of elected officials, labor leaders, and community members stand together to call out Home Depot:
“As immigrant families live under the constant threat of ICE terror, Home Depot has chosen to displace a center that provides safety, resources, and basic human dignity to day laborers. Los Angeles will not stand by while billion-dollar corporations profit off our communities while discarding the very workers who make them rich. We stand with IDEPSCA,” stated L.A. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez.
“We are deeply concerned about the health and safety of our members who rely on the day labor center every single day. This eviction notice strips away the basic human rights of our immigrant communities,” said IDEPSCA Executive Director Maegan Ortiz.
“SEIU members will never forget that Home Depot and other corporations are actively collaborating with Trump’s campaign of violence targeting immigrant workers and communities. We demand an end to corporate collaboration with anti-worker politicians now and an immediate retraction of this eviction of day laborers from their long-time center,” said President of SEIU California and SEIU-USWW David Huerta.
“For 27 years, the Cypress Park Community Job Center has served as a source of community, safety, and dignity for the day laborers who keep Los Angeles running. The timing of this eviction notice is not a coincidence, it is a choice, and a direct threat to our immigrant communities as ICE continues its targeted attacks. Home Depot has the power to stop this displacement, and we are calling on them to reverse course and stand with IDEPSCA and the workers who built this city,” stated L.A. Councilmember Nithya Raman.
“Cruelty against day laborers by Home Depot and its complicity with ICE are mortal threats to ALL in our community. No one is safe from Home Depot’s exploitative and unconscionable conduct. We will not shop at this bad corporate operator that attacks the dignity, the safety, and the decency of working people. We will stop its effort to locate another, unnecessary, 8th nearby location, aimed at Eagle Rock,” said Community Activist Hans Johnson.
###
Assemblymember Jessica Caloza proudly represents the 52nd Assembly District, which includes the Los Angeles County communities of Angelino Heights, Atwater Village, City Terrace, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, East Hollywood, East Los Angeles, Echo Park, El Sereno, Elysian Heights, Elysian Valley, Glassell Park, Garvanza, Highland Park, Hillside Village, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills, Mount Washington, Silver Lake, South Glendale, University Hills, and Vista Hermosa.
