Barricades around DTLA federal building could be permanent

A federal building at the center of violent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles has been fortified with metal fencing as parts of downtown LA now resemble a militarized zone — and now the city’s top federal prosecutor is warning that it could be permanent.

Photographs show the imposing 8-foot reinforced chainlink fence reinstalled over the weekend around the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, which saw repeated clashes between officials and unruly mobs in recent weeks.

The building, which houses an immigration detention center and the US District Court for the Central District of California, has been targeted by activists since rumors spread that undocumented migrants were being detained in the basement after supposedly routine check-ins.

The fencing is similar to the defenses installed around the building last summer, following the first wave of anti-ICE riots in June 2025.

Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, has cautioned that the city is exploring permanent options.

“It’s a warzone,” told the Post. “We thought the threat had been neutralized, given aggressive enforcement and prosecutions, but certain activists and groups have refueled these riots against the federal government.”

The fencing, first installed in August 2025, was later removed following complaints that it made the sidewalks too narrow to comply with federal accessibility laws for people with disabilities.

The hardening of the Roybal building’s defenses comes after Jan. 30’s “National Day of Action,” when protesters successfully breached the existing smaller barriers and blocked entrances using construction dumpsters.

“We’re exploring permanent barriers. You might see some potential construction in the future,” Essayli said, adding that not only federal law enforcement use the building, but judges, jurors and members of the general public.

In addition to the fencing, permanent mechanical bollards and new heavy-duty gates have been installed at the loading docks and garage entrances on Temple and Alameda Streets to prevent future “ramming” attacks or attempts to block access to the building.

The General Services Administration (GSA) also authorized the reinforcement of ground-level windows and entry points with impact-resistant materials.

“We also have a surge of personnel ready to deal with any large groups that form in and around the building,” Essayli added. “We have the capability to get hundreds of people out here very quickly.”

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Not every change to the security around the Roybal building will be immediately obvious.

Following a GSA Inspector General report in late January 2026, the building’s security camera and alarm systems were reportedly overhauled.

Residents and businesses have criticized the fence’s installation, complaining that the militarized impression it creates clashes with the city’s stated goals of a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood in the nearby South Village.

But Essayli said authorities have no choice, in the face of escalating violence from hardened leftists.

“I think it’s sad that civil servants have to be exposed to those kinds of conditions,” he said. “It’s a shame that we have to do that inside the United States to protect against bad actors, but that’s where we’re at.”