Three high‑pitched noise devices installed outside the Cypress Park Home Depot in Los Angeles have drawn sharp criticism from advocates and elected officials, who say the sound is causing physical harm and is being used to push day laborers away. IDEPSCA and Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez demanded the machines' removal and argued they amount to "torture," while Home Depot says the devices aim to prevent illegal overnight parking and denies coordinating with ICE. Advocates noted the devices were installed days after a recent ICE raid; IDEPSCA says about 50 people have been detained at this location this year.
‘Torture’ or Safety Measure? High-Pitched Noise Devices at Cypress Park Home Depot Spark Outcry
A Home Depot location in Los Angeles.Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Advocates and community leaders in Los Angeles say three high‑pitched noise‑emitting devices installed outside the Cypress Park Home Depot are being used to deter day laborers and are causing headaches, nausea and distress. The Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA) and elected officials called for the machines' removal at a Wednesday press conference, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Installation, Location and Timing
The devices are mounted on lampposts in the store's parking lot beneath a highway overpass. Advocates say the machines were installed several days after a recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at the Cypress Park location, which sits near one of IDEPSCA's support hubs.
Voices From The Community
"We have been here and remain open through global pandemics, providing services and creating community," IDEPSCA executive director Maegan Ortiz said at the press conference. "We're not going to let sound machines, gates and intimidation get rid of us. Day laborers are here to stay. IDEPSCA is here to stay. The immigrant community is here to stay."
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez accused the company of "weaponizing sound," saying devices like these are "used as torture against our people." Hernandez also said the devices were placed on land owned by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), calling it "the people's land."
One day laborer told reporters the noise "penetrates your bones," and now wears earplugs while waiting for work. Workers at the scene said the machines were off during the press conference but were reportedly turned back on about an hour later.
Allegations of Enforcement and Detentions
Ortiz told reporters the Cypress Park Home Depot has seen heavy ICE activity this year; she said agents detained about 50 people at that location. The Los Angeles Times also reported an incident in which ICE detained a U.S. citizen at the store while the person's child remained in the car and agents then drove off with the toddler.
Home Depot Response
Home Depot representatives said the devices are a safety initiative intended to deter illegal overnight parking and deny any coordination with federal immigration enforcement. Spokesperson George Lane said in an email the company "has several initiatives we use to keep our stores safe, including human and technology resources," and added, "To say that we are cooperating with these immigration enforcement activities is just false." Another company spokesperson reiterated that the noise devices are meant to prevent overnight parking and are not linked to ICE operations.
Context
Undocumented day laborers have long gathered in Home Depot parking lots across the United States to find short‑term work. Advocates say those locations have become focal points for immigration enforcement in recent years, with additional raids reported in Los Angeles suburbs and other parts of California.
Source: Reporting by the Los Angeles Times; statements from IDEPSCA and Home Depot.
