Car wash worker with U.S. citizen wife detained, loses job after business closure
Aug 9, 2026·Location: Los Angeles, CA

José, a car wash worker at La Cienega Car Wash in Los Angeles, was detained by ICE agents in August 2025. José's wife is a U.S. citizen, and he had a pathway to citizenship before his detention. After a federal judge ordered his release on bond, the car wash had shut down, leaving José without employment. Rev. Andy Schwiebert of Immanuel Presbyterian Church noted that the enforcement operation destabilized families, congregations, workplaces, and entire communities across the region.
Sources
- ‘It wasn’t right’: Car wash workers cope with lingering impacts of Southern California ICE raids
dailykos.com·Aug 9, 2026·archived copy
- 'It wasn't right': Car wash workers cope with lingering effects of southern California raids
timesofsandiego.com·Aug 9, 2026·archived copy
- SoCal Car Wash ICE Raids: Workers’ Lingering Trauma, Family Separation
us.ok.com·Aug 6, 2026
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