Facing Frequent ICE Raids, Home Depot Formalizes Employee Response Plan Including Paid Time Off for Disturbed Workers

Amid a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity near its stores, Home Depot has issued formal guidance for employees on how to respond to federal immigration enforcement actions.

The company confirmed it now allows workers at affected locations to leave for the day with pay if they feel unsettled by ICE operations—a policy currently applied regionally but not yet chain-wide, as Fortune explains.

Home Depot's decision follows a string of recent raids across California and New York, many occurring outside or near its stores, where day laborers frequently gather seeking work. On June 5, ICE agents arrested multiple individuals in Los Angeles' Westlake neighborhood, targeting a strip mall with a Home Depot location. According to Bloomberg, similar raids have taken place in Hempstead, New York, and the Bronx.

An NBC Los Angeles investigation published on Thursday confirmed that raid at Home Depot storers are taking place in the area. On Thursday morning, federal agents detained multiple individuals near a Home Depot in Hollywood, as seen in videos showing armed officers taking people into custody and loading them into unmarked vans. Witnesses said the agents targeted day laborers and street vendors, detaining around 20 people. Among them were U.S. citizens and longtime community members, including a street vendor of 25 years.

A Home Depot spokesperson told Fortune the company receives no prior notification of ICE activity and is not involved in enforcement efforts. Employees have been directed not to interact with agents and to report any ICE incidents immediately. "We are not alerted to any of these immigration enforcements ahead of time," the spokesperson said.

The company has also begun logging such incidents in a central database and reiterated its existing "no solicitation" policy, which prohibits loitering on store property, as Bloomberg reported on June 13. However, enforcement varies by location. Many laborers wait on public sidewalks or other areas adjacent to store parking lots, where they are legally allowed to assemble.

Federal officials, including Trump advisor Stephen Miller, have named Home Depot among sites to prioritize for enforcement.