Border Patrol Arrests Five in Montebello Rooftop Immigration Raid Captured on Video
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested five men from Mexico and Guatemala during a Jan. 14 enforcement operation at a small construction site in Montebello, California, after dramatic video showed workers climbing a ladder onto a one‑story home and sprinting across neighboring rooftops to escape. The footage, shot in a residential Los Angeles County neighborhood, shows one man trying to knock the ladder down to stop agents from following before an officer catches it and props it back up, and then the group splitting up by jumping to nearby roofs. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital that all five were taken into custody and will remain detained pending immigration proceedings, correcting local reports that no one had been detained. DHS said the raid is part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration and what it calls the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, a campaign that has triggered protests and legal pushback in sanctuary cities. The Montebello incident adds a Southern California worksite‑enforcement snapshot to the wider national fight over how aggressively federal agents are pursuing unauthorized workers and what tactics they use in residential neighborhoods.
📌 Key Facts
- The incident occurred Jan. 14 at a small construction site attached to a single‑story home in Montebello, Los Angeles County.
- Video shows at least two workers scrambling up a ladder to the roof, one attempting to knock the ladder away, and several people running and leaping between rooftops as Border Patrol agents arrive.
- DHS says five "illegal aliens" from Mexico and Guatemala were arrested and remain in custody for immigration proceedings, tying the operation to the administration’s larger deportation push.
📊 Relevant Data
As of 2023, unauthorized immigrants from Mexico accounted for approximately 4.6 million of the total 13.7 million unauthorized immigrants in the US, representing about 34%, while those from Guatemala accounted for about 1.1 million, or 8%.
Changing Origins, Rising Numbers: Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States in 2023 — Migration Policy Institute
In California, immigrant workers make up about 41% of the construction labor force as of 2023.
Geographic Concentration of Immigrants in Construction — National Association of Home Builders
Migration from Guatemala to the US is driven by factors including high poverty in rural areas, displacement due to natural disasters, insecurity, and violence, with a 2025 report noting these as key push factors.
Guatemalan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
In Montebello, California, the Hispanic or Latino population was 78.8% as of the 2020 Census, up from 74.6% in 2010, reflecting significant demographic growth in this group.
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Montebello city, California — U.S. Census Bureau
Los Angeles County expanded sanctuary policies in 2026 by designating 'ICE-free zones' on county property to limit immigration enforcement operations, amid backlash against federal deportation efforts.
LA County expands sanctuary status with 'ICE-free zones' — Fox News
A 2025 study estimates that mass deportations of undocumented workers in California would reduce the state's GDP by nearly 5%, with significant impacts on wages and employment in industries like construction.
The Economic Impact of Mass Deportation in California — UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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