Monday, January 19, 2026- Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman is raising alarm after an employee of his office was “wrongfully detained” by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, according to an internal memo he circulated to staff on Friday.
Hochman described the detention as “unacceptable” and said the employee was released shortly afterward and is safe. He expressed deep concern for the distress the incident caused to the employee, their family, and colleagues.
Hochman said he personally contacted federal authorities to make them aware of what happened and urged them to show greater respect for the rights of community residents and prevent similar incidents in the future. The memo did not explain why the employee was stopped, and law enforcement sources told reporters the person was not a prosecutor and was not engaged in protest activity when detained.
Federal officials have publicly contested the claim, with a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson saying neither ICE nor Customs and Border Protection has any record of the office employee being detained.
The spokesperson also rejected suggestions that law enforcement actions amount to racial profiling, calling such allegations “false.” The conflicting accounts come amid broader tensions over immigration enforcement practices in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities.
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