NELA GoFundMe Link: NELA ALERT SYSYTEM
Sirens, whistles, and grassroots alerts emerge as immigrant neighborhoods respond to intensified ICE activity
The Guatemalan couple Clara and Marcelo sold food outside the Guatemalan consulate. Since the ICE raids began, they had never felt threatened. They knew the raids were happening but didn’t feel exposed.
Like many street vendors, and lacking a coordinated alert system, immigrants and entire neighborhoods suffer the consequences when ICE agents arrive to conduct arrests indiscriminately, regardless of their stated objectives.
“We thought it wouldn’t happen to us,” says Clara.
The NELA neighborhood community is trying to change this. In recent days, they launched a campaign on Instagram announcing the “ICE OUT OF NELA Project,” which involves installing air-raid sirens that emit a deafening noise. Placed in businesses throughout the neighborhood, these sirens would alert residents to the presence of ICE so they can take precautions and, if possible, seek safety.
“It is a preventive measure—people can know if there is an ICE presence near them and seek shelter to stay safe,” says one of the organizers. “There are other efforts underway, but we believe this one is effective. We hope to fully implement this project so that, if possible, it can be replicated in other parts of the county.”
Given the increased intensity of ICE activity in immigrant communities and the violence it has unleashed, there are few effective preventive measures. Los Angeles and other California cities have been identified as so-called “sanctuaries” for immigrants, but this designation has offered limited protection. On the contrary, these cities have increasingly become targets of the anti-immigrant policies of Donald Trump’s administration.
“We are continuing to raise money to buy air-raid sirens and create an instant, synchronized alert system when ICE is in the neighborhood. Now, in the next phase of the project, we need residents and businesses to host the sirens on their property,” the organization wrote in a post inviting the community to submit proposals for installation locations.
The organizers know this is just one of many efforts that could be launched. It simply requires more organizations, leaders, and politicians to respond to the current situation. “What would be ideal is if Los Angeles, California, is to implement an alert system similar to Amber Alert, where messages go directly to phones and people could be notified about operations. But politicians need to get involved and explore the possibility of this type of system.”
“We tested the air-raid siren on York and Figueroa, and it was loud. Our goal is to install these warning sirens throughout Northeast Los Angeles to create an instant, synchronized warning system for the community. If the community wants to donate or buy their own, let us know. You can buy one independently and coordinate with us. We are also looking for residents and businesses willing to host them on their property,” reads another post.
Other efforts
Alongside the sirens, organizers are distributing free ICE alarm whistles and “Know Your Rights” materials. Rain Skau, an organizer with the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, told LAist that the whistles are meant to be “instantly recognizable” signals of danger.
Residents are taught two whistle patterns: one to signal an ICE presence, and another to indicate someone is being detained. Workshops instruct neighbors to respond by forming visible, nonviolent crowds—a tactic used nationally to document activity and slow arrests without physical interference.
Similar community alert systems have been reported in Chicago and New York, according to The Guardian, reflecting a broader shift toward neighborhood-based defense as raids persist.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, ICE enforcement increasingly relies on surprise and speed, particularly in working-class neighborhoods with high immigrant populations. In Los Angeles, where Latinos make up nearly half the population, that strategy collides with a city unable to shield residents beyond symbolic protections.
Community leaders say the sirens are not about politics—they are about survival.
