As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to target immigrants in Los Angeles, a network of local artists is utilizing their craft to show solidarity and provide material support to affected communities. While resistance in the city has taken many forms—including protests at the Metropolitan Detention Center and the establishment of community watch observation hubs at Home Depots—tattoo artists are increasingly viewing their work as a revolutionary tool.
Fundraising Through “Flash” Art
In late January, the Rabble Rouser Tattoo Shop in Culver City hosted a fundraiser featuring custom “Fuck ICE” flash sheets. The event, which began after a conversation between tattoo artist Leslie Young and colleague Rosie Knight, drew a crowd of enthusiasts who waited hours to receive ink. The initiative raised $6,700, with all proceeds donated to the Immigrant Defense Project, CHIRLA and L.A. TACO.
Several artists participated in the event, using their specific styles to convey political messages:
- Sebastian Stone used illustrative cartoons and anthropomorphic animals, including colorful dragons melting or crushing ice cubes and a gray cartoon wolf. Stone described his art as a “tool for mutual aid” and a “compulsive response to the world around me.”
- Leslie Young incorporated American Traditional-style pieces, such as a cougar slashing melting ice cubes and a traditional U.S.-style dagger impaling an ice cube. Young stated, “Art will always be political; it is absolutely crucial for quieter voices, voices with less power/agency/spotlight, to be heard.”
- Mason Cummings created modern American Traditional cartoons, including a depiction of Pikachu electrifying a federal agent and a pink-shaded hog frozen in an ice cube.
- Kenny Takar contributed colorful American Traditional and fine-line work, featuring a black puma crushing a rectangular ice cube and a white dove carrying a green olive branch.
Cultural Identity and Mutual Aid
The movement extends beyond Culver City. In Long Beach, artist Ivan Flores operates a private studio in Cambodia Town where he combines Mexican and Pre-Hispanic imagery—such as conchas, payasita paletas, and the Mazatl (deer)—to honor the people targeted by ICE. Flores recently conducted a fundraiser for LUCHA Santa Ana, a community watch and mutual aid network inspired by the Los Angeles Tenants Union that formed following Border Patrol raids at local Home Depots.
Flores’ work also serves as a memorial; his flash sheets have included a red whistle and the blue bunny hat worn by five-year-old Liam Ramos, who was detained by ICE in January 2026. “Art is political and cultural, and to me, that means these images carry our stories,” Flores said.
Healing and Revolution in Echo Park
At El Clasico Tattoo in Echo Park, artists Anthony Medina and Irene Shiori approach the crisis through a Chicanx lens. Medina collaborated with James Mendez to screenprint a design featuring Felix the Cat spray-painting “FUCK ICE” onto t-shirts, donating all proceeds to families affected by ICE via GoFundMe or in-person contributions.
For Irene Shiori, the response is more internal. Speaking on the heartbreak caused by the summer raids of 2025 in Los Angeles, Shiori designed a piece centered on the Virgin Mary to offer “momentary comfort and warmth” and a safe space for others. She described her process as a way to “channel, transmute, relieve myself of all the emotions that have surfaced.”
Significance and Future Outlook
These efforts signify a shift where artistic expression is being leveraged as a direct form of community defense and financial assistance. By transforming political grievances into permanent art and fundraisers, these artists are creating a visible record of resistance and providing immediate resources to immigrant defense organizations.
Looking forward, these artistic initiatives may continue to evolve as artists find new ways to integrate mutual aid into their business models. More studios could adopt similar fundraiser models, and community hubs like LUCHA Santa Ana may see further integration with local creative networks to sustain their support for day laborers and immigrant families.
