7 more Long Beach car wash workers abducted by federal agents

The number of Long Beach car wash workers detained by federal agents continues to grow after agents raided Bixby Knolls Car Wash Saturday morning, taking seven people, according to the general manager.

Ramon Paz, 71, said agents arrived at the car wash, located on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Wardlow Road, around 10 a.m., blocking all the exits and quickly apprehended four women and three men. They showed no warrants, he said.

“I’ve worked here 46 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Paz told the Watchdog Saturday afternoon, adding that the car wash closed after the raid and that it may remain closed Sunday due to worker fears.

“What can we do?” Paz said.

During the raid, surveillance camera footage shows Paz approaching agents and attempting to talk to them. Paz, an immigrant from Honduras, said he came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1979. He overstayed his visas, he said, but did attain citizenship 35 years ago.

“I know we broke the law, but these are nice people,” Paz said. “They pay taxes and the government keeps it all.”

In the video, agents can be seen pushing Paz away as he tries to talk to them. Seconds later, a woman being detained collapses. It’s unclear if she fainted or suffered a medical emergency. A man can be heard calling to agents to “get medical aid” as they pick her up and put her into the backseat of their car.

Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Immigration and Customs Enforcement responded to Watchdog questions about the status of the woman.

One of the abducted workers, Karla Martinez Bardales, has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years, according to a GoFundMe page organized by her children.

“She has never had any trouble with the law,” her kids wrote. “She worked tirelessly, even on holidays when most were resting, to provide for her family.”

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Martinez Bardales has not returned to Honduras in more than three decades, according to her children, who added that “Long Beach is her home.”

The page reached its initial goal of $6,500 in just under five hours Saturday night. As of 9.20 a.m. Sunday, the campaign has raised more than $8,400.

The funds will be used for legal fees and related expenses as the family works to get its matriarch back, the kids said.

Saturday’s raid came less than 24 hours after city officials announced the cancellation of the 2025 Día de los Muertos Parade over community fears of the celebration becoming a scene similar to the car wash.

“This decision did not come lightly and was a result of concerns related to activities in the region being conducted by federal law enforcement,” 1st District Councilmember Mary Zendejas said on social media Friday, adding that the city is not aware of federal enforcement activity targeting the parade.

“The decision to cancel this year's parade was made out of an abundance of caution to address the genuine fears raised by community members, especially those who may face the possibility of sudden and indiscriminate federal enforcement actions that undermine the sense of security necessary to participate fully in public life,” Zendejas wrote.

The Arte y Ofrendas Festival, a separate event that typically coincides with the parade, is also canceled, according to Zendejas.

“It's unfortunate, and I think it's a really tough decision, but I think it's the right decision to cancel and prioritize people's safety,” said James Suazo, executive director of Long Beach Forward, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting racial and income inequality.

“We’re all having to make sacrifices,” Suazo said.

Saturday’s incident was another in a string of raids that have seen federal agents take upward of 30 Long Beach workers, according local advocacy group ÓRALE.

On Aug. 17, federal agents raided two car washes, detaining nine people. Two weeks later, on Labor Day, agents raided another car wash, taking two more workers.

CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, an advocacy group that fights for improved conditions for car wash workers, estimates that nearly 160 car wash workers across LA and Orange counties have been detained by federal agents since June 6, according to social media posts.

Suazo encourages people to donate the money that they otherwise would have spent at the now-canceled events to a local relief fund.

“Help ensure people can meet their financial needs, especially as these kidnappings are happening,” he said. “For folks who are too scared to leave their homes for any reason because of fear of being kidnapped.”

That fear of leaving the house is endangering people, Suazo said, noting that many aren’t able to make ends meet due to missing work. Many are even foregoing a doctor's visit for fear of being abducted by agents, he said.

“People are experiencing stress and anxiety,” Suazo said. “It’s the daily anxiety of not knowing what’s going to happen.”

The presence of immigration officers, and even just the threat of their presence, has even shifted the way many organizations operate, Suazo said, adding the Long Beach Forward has moved many of its meetings online.

“We're, of course, always going to want our elected officials to do more, and they absolutely should be doing more,” Suazo said. “But at the same time, even their hands are tied.”

Indeed, as raids of car washes continued after a court order in July prohibiting federal agents from profiling people based on their appearance, language or job, Long Beach officials announced they were working with a coalition of California cities to seek legal recourse. More recently, however, the Supreme Court effectively ruled that racial profiling by federal agents is acceptable.

Despite the ruling, Long Beach City Attorney Dawn McIntosh said the case is not over, adding that “Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh’s opinion is deeply disappointing.”

“We are not done with this fight,” McIntosh said in a Sept. 10 email. “We will continue to fight to uphold the United States Constitution and the rights of all people in our country.”