How immigration raids are reshaping Los Angeles
GalleryIn a city where much of the economy relies on immigrant labor, fear and absenteeism have paralyzed entire sectors of the local economy. Although the Trump administration began to withdraw 2,000 of the 4,000 National Guard members deployed in Los Angeles, the economic consequences have been felt since their arrival on June 8.
Los Angeles has long nurtured a myth of prosperity built on Hollywood and tourism. But in reality, the city's stability depends on a quieter economy, largely sustained by undocumented immigrant workers. According to the Bay Area Economic Institute, this population segment generates nearly 5% of California's gross domestic product and pays more than $23 billion a year in local, state and federal taxes.
In Los Angeles, the sudden disappearance of part of this undocumented workforce after the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in early June has undermined the entire local economic fabric. By extension, the situation has raised fears of rising social and racial tensions.
In this atmosphere of distrust and instability, Mexican American photographer Julie Léopo set out across the immigrant-dependent neighborhoods of Los Angeles for Le Monde. In these now nearly empty places, she met those who, with no other options, continue to work under the constant threat of deportation, in order to support themselves and their families.
Santee Alley market
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