BRILLIANT Home Depot protest: protesters in Monrovia, CA are buying 17 cent ICE scrappers and returning them instantly

[demmiblue]

Genius

— The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) 2025-11-23T13:06:56.693Z

Day laborer organizers protest Home Depot, pressuring it to “scrape ICE out of their stores.”

Nearly one hundred people had just one item on their list as they entered the Home Depot in Monrovia on Saturday: a small ice scraper worth a little less than a dollar.

They got back in line only minutes later to return the item. The action, known as a buy-in, was part of a larger demonstration at the Home Depot to pressure the company to “scrape ICE out of their stores,” said Erika Andiola, political director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which coordinated the event.

Demonstrators flocked to the location, some wearing makeshift aprons, similar to those worn by Home Depot employees, with the phrase “ICE out of Home Depot.” Others used the orange Home Depot buckets as drums as they marched through the store.

“Whether the corporation wants to admit it or not, Home Depot has become ground zero for this cruel, vicious immigration enforcement that’s taking place in our country,” said Pablo Alvarado, NDLON’s co-executive director.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-11-22/ice-out-of-home-depot-monrovia

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

1. ,,

[MichMan]

2. Every HD I've been in has a separate customer service area for returns.

Not understanding how it would bog down lines at the checkout area.

Also, surprised they would even stock ice scrapers in LA.

[2naSalit]

5. Believe it of not it gets...

Frosty enough to need them in SoCal... even in San Diego.

[ananda]

7. People don't realize how cold the Pacific coast is.

I went there once in July, and it was fucking cold,
especially at night.

[SarcasticSatyr]

11. I went to boot camp in San Diego,

and was surprised just how cold it got at night ...

[2naSalit]

15. Many members...

Of my family have lived there for decades, I have too off and on before the '90s. It gets frosty whether you're at the beach, in the mountains or out in the desert.

It just does.

[Zambero]

20. Below 50 it is bone-chilling

Unlike the inland deserts, humidity in the coastal areas increases as the temperature drops. So it's a damp cold, with the reverse effect of humid heat.

[MichMan]

21. "Below 50 it is bone-chilling"

Tell that to those of us who live in the upper Midwest snow belt.

Hell, when it's 50, we put shorts on.

[Zambero]

25. Acclimation is real

Here in Boise it's much the same. A 50F day in winter means shorts and t-shirts. In coastal SoCal, people are acclimated to constant 65F-85F daytime temperatures with low humidity. Whenever it gets cooler and damper at night, it's perceived as being very cold. After a couple of weeks, even folks arriving from much colder climates will experience the same effect, myself included some years ago.

[ananda]

28. True for hot weather too.

I'm acclimated to heat. It has to get above 80F
before I even start to feel warm.

I was at a protest at the capital a few years ago
and met some people from Minnesota who were
struggling with the heat, which of course I didn't
even feel.

I told them you have to get acciimated by getting
out in the heat often, every day.

I think that's why the Pacific coast felt so cold to me.

[chowder66]

37. Beach weather at night in the colder months kills me. That is truly bone-chilling but yes, I can attest to how it feels

cold in the 50's. I'm from KCMO and we have cold winters and I love cold weather. I run hot and know how to dress for it but that's back home - when I visit. I've also been in Minnesota, during winter, a few times when I was in my teens, once when it was 40 below. That was insane.

However, I've lived in SoCal for 35 years and I do find I have to put on a long sleeved shirt around 65 degrees or below if I'm idle (working from home, watching a movie, etc). 50's are definitely chilly and can feel downright cold especially at night.... but a couple of blankets and warm PJ's are good for me. I can only imagine how cold it is for people who don't run hot. The mountain areas and the cities closer to them tend to get more intense weather, thunderstorms and wind, which exacerbates the cold.

The only place I cannot beat the cold has been at the beach at night. That ocean air is penetrating.

[bedazzled]

26. It's the same in southern florida

It ruins you for the real world. Not to mention the state sucks.

[MurrayDelph]

67. I use one

to defrost my chest freezer.

[pattyloutwo]

22. Did you see how many were in line to buy them? Definitely bogged down purchase lines

[MichMan]

24. Which has nothing to do with returns

[MorbidButterflyTat]

59. This was GOOD

No need to shit on it repeatedly.

[Deuxcents]

53. All paying in cash so no card info being provided. Brilliant move! Intentional trouble ie sabotage 📎

[chowder66]

34. There are mountains all around Monrovia. It's only about 12 miles to the closest area to ski.

I'm about 1.5 hr away from several options. I'm in Hollywood. You need to be ready w/ scrapers and chains.

[Iggo]

40. I've got a sister that lives over there. I just texted and asked her.

She says there’s maybe a couple of days every three years or so in her part of Monrovia where if you don’t have an ice scraper you’ll be late for work.

She also reminded me that Home Depot is a huge chain, and they might stock a few thousand here and there in SoCal so they can move them to Ohio or whatever when they’re running out.

[fargone]

46. They clog the check out when they buy them. Clog the return counter later

If they use self checkout, they could have "problems" that require assistance.

[Trueblue1968]

66. Trump haters should move stuff all over the store. Put stuff in the wrong places.

Flood the store and get in shoppers way. Give the store a bad yelp rating.

[Mossfern]

3. Who really suffers by this?

The poor clerks and the customers who may not have an alternate similar store to go to.
I doubt that corporate really gives a shit about long lines in this season.

[pattyloutwo]

23. People leave the store because they don't want to wait an hour to make their purchase

[Iggo]

42. It's SoCal. Drive a few miles and you'll run into another Home Depot.

And I’ll remind you, protests need to be inconvenient to be effective.

[Chemical Bill]

68. I don't believe...

protests need to be inconvenient to be effective. I know protests need to be visible. I like education as a component. Frankly, I think friendliness is appropriate. I attend a weekly vigil, and people drive by with a wave or thumbs up. They may honk. Some walk by and thank us for being there. A few argue. We try not to inconvenience anyone.

As for HD, I don't shop there.

[Dave Bowman]

4. Great idea. 👍

[31st Street Bridge]

6. Or just steal them!

Maybe a few of them.

[AllyCat]

8. Ummm, no.

Stealing is not the right course

[demmiblue]

10. Uh, no.

[stopdiggin]

32. ? ? ? Okaaaaay? So now we're advocation theft (criminal behavior)

as clever protest strategy ?
Wowzah !

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[MorbidButterflyTat]

60. No, "we" aren't

[Skittles]

64. um

we're not republicans

[NJCher]

9. If you watch the video

Last edited Sun Nov 23, 2025, 06:38 PM - Edit history (1)

It looks like self service return. I think we have that. It requires a lot of store assistance. Not really sure since I go to an independent. local hardware store.

Seeing huge lines discourages other customers. They dump what they were going to buy and go elsewhere.

It’s worth watching just to see the expressions of the protesters.

[NJCher]

12. Management will see

How many returns were made and know that their policy is disdained by customers. They will also see how much in resources their policy costs.

[bonniebgood]

13. Next They can start buying SCREWS in screw you. More screws than ice scrapers.

[MichMan]

14. Need to get those big rolling carts and fill them with various random sizes of big lumber and concrete blocks.

Add in a bunch of random plumbing fittings etc. Stuff that would be really aggravating to have to restock individually. That would take a lot more time to return than one item. One could also get in line and then right before getting to check out, just abandon it and walk away.

[Luz]

16. Then you're just hurting the employees that have

to restock all of that crap before they can punch out and go home to their lives.
Don't do that.

[MichMan]

18. Job security is what I would call it.

[CrispyQ]

27. Getting "discard" duty was a blessing when I was a grocery checker.

You're out in the store away from management's eye. Customers stop & ask you where things are. I enjoyed it much more than checking.

[stopdiggin]

35. regard for the employee(s) is clearly NOT a priority here

Stated intent is to bog down, inconvenience and frustrate ... Disgusted employees are clearly a cost considered acceptable, or necessary. Can't deliberately piss a bunch of people off - then claim .....
Doesn't work that way.

[Iggo]

43. All effective protest is inconvenient for someone.

[Luz]

48. Its not effective if the only one you hurt or inconvenience is a

low level, low paid employee.

[MichMan]

49. Do you think the employees putting up with it or the customers waiting in long lines will be more or less likely...

...to support your cause?

[NBachers]

17. I work in a locally-owned hardware store / lumber yard in California. Don't fucking come to my store and do that.

[MichMan]

19. Is your store cooperating with ICE?

If not, then don't worry about it.

Just curious if you would support the tactics in the OP at your store? Dozens of people buying cheap items and then returning them immediately to make it difficult for customers.

[EdmondDantes_]

52. Is Home Depot? They've denied working with ICE

ICE going to a place where one would expect undocumented workers isn't unexpected. What exactly is Home Depot supposed to be doing? Putting an employee outside isn't going to do anything. They can't ban ICE from the property preemptively.

[NBachers]

55. Half the employees here would be ICE targets; and a majority of our customers would be ICE targets.

We all work with mutual friendly objectives of providing our customers with what they need and getting them out the door to get to their jobs.

Abandoning loaded carts or platforms in front of the cashier sabotages our job; creates time and frustration jams for our customers.

Mass buying -and-returning actions, to jam up what is already a difficult and fast-paced activity for employees and customers, would not be viewed as helpful by either employees or our customers. Basically, the people doing this would be viewas misguided unwelcome shitheads. All they do is cause pain and problems for working people trying to get the job done.

[Iggo]

44. Don't cooperate with ICE, and we have a deal.

[leftstreet]

29. You can buy an ice scraper for 17 cents?

That's pretty cheap

[demmiblue]

30. It's probably a Black Friday deal. n/t

[MorbidButterflyTat]

61. It's probably a plastic piece of crap

[Martin68]

31. Brilliant protest. Love the ice scraper metaphor.

[Sympthsical]

33. Ok, but what has Home Depot actually done here?

I'm a little confused. The article states:

George Lane, manager of corporate communications for Home Depot, said in an email to The Times that “we are not coordinating with ICE or Border Patrol, and we’re not involved in the operations. We aren’t notified that immigration enforcement activities are going to happen, and often, we don’t know operations have taken place until they’re over.

My impression is that ICE targets Home Depot parking lots, because that is where (mainly Latino) day laborers congregate. That is certainly my experience in California and other states. But ICE swooping into the parking lot to have a go at what they think is a target rich environment isn't the same as the company itself taking steps.

If anything, day laborers in the parking lot help Home Depot. People looking for workers are also going to pick up materials while there. Given how synonymous Home Depot has become with the practice, I imagine their financial interest was to turn a blind eye to whatever was happening out in the lot. Which would be the opposite of assisting the Trump administration.

This seems . . . unfocused. I read the article with some protesters' rationales, but it isn't convincing. Like this:

“Day laborers do want people to come out to shop so they can get work,” Andiola said. “This was the way for us to still impact their business and at the same time, give the message that they need to get ICE out of their stores.”

I guess I just don't understand the desire to affect customers and the business. Home Depot has always been really chill about day laborers. ICE isn't in their stores. They're swooping into the parking lots.

I see all kinds of social media accusations that Home Depot is "colluding" with ICE somehow, but I haven't seen any real evidence of it. Just assertions that it's happening. Sounds like people want a target for their anger. They can't affect Trump, but they can go down the street and find a store to be angry at.

I dunno. Activism should have obtainable goals. Activism for the sake of activisting can devolve into futile masturbatory posturing. This Home Depot stuff feels more in that vein. They've bothered customers and sent the company a message that maybe they should be more mindful of what's going on in their parking lots.

Which would seem to veer towards the opposite outcome of what people like Ms. Andiola say they want.

[stopdiggin]

38. +1. wondered about the (supposed) 'cooperation' implied as well.

Any indications that HDepot is actually 'dimeing' these folks - or inviting or offering coordination with these raids?
I'd be surprised if 'corporate' is doing any such thing. Simple reason, that it is NOT in any way adding to their bottom line.

[Sympthsical]

39. I really tried to find something before posting

And all I see are the assertions without cited evidence.

I am much more receptive to boycotts/disruptions if Home Depot is actively colluding with ICE. But so far, it seems like people are mad that Home Depot employees are not manning the parapets with rifles to shoo away ICE or something? Do they want the parking lots barricaded?

I'm pissed about this stuff, too. But reading the article, I just didn't get it. Feels like spraying attacks wherever to feel like something's being done.

At the end of the day, only something as large as a general strike (which will never happen) or - and I'm just spitballing - actually voting will achieve the ends people claim they are seeking.

[stopdiggin]

41. appreciate your efforts - and (in large part) agree with your observations.

Smart .. ? Effective .. ?
About the best I can come away with is that - sometimes making some noise and drawing attention, is a positive in and of itself .... So there is that. And kudos and nods to people that are trying ....

[MichMan]

45. Many boycotts are illogical

People are free of course to not spend their $$ anywhere they like. My favorite is people boycotting some business that they would never frequent in the first place. Even though I haven't drank any coffee beverage for 50 years, I can smugly say I'm boycotting Starbucks over their union stance and gain some street cred.

There is often some umbrage at a comment a CEO supposedly said a dozen or more years ago. When the boycotters are told that the person hasn't been CEO since 2015, the typical response to justify it is that the former CEO still likely owns stock, so a boycott is still costing him/her. If they are deceased, then it hurts the estate. Whatever. My BIL who is an avid gun enthusiast is adamant about boycotting McDonalds over some anti gun something or other that happened 20 plus years ago.

Nearly every business bans solicitation in their parking lots. Wouldn't surprise me if HD does the same; too much liability. I personally don't understand how people have this much spare time to wait in lines to buy a 17 ¢ item and then wait in more lines to return it. Volunteering at an animal rescue group or food bank would seem be much more beneficial IMO.

[leftstreet]

47. +1

[ret5hd]

65. HD can demand (as ANY private property can)...

that no ice/border patrol can enter without a valid warrant signed by a judge.

[JoseBalow]

36. I didn't know you could buy ANYTHING for 17 cents anymore!

[CaptainTruth]

50. Sorry, to me this just sounds like wasted effort. The mistreated HD employees are not the problem.

If we want to counteract the propaganda that "Democrats don't support working people," maybe we shouldn't do things that create more hassle & hardship for working people.

Just a thought.

[Boxerfan]

51. This is dumb-only aggravates the employee & makes no real statement-like simple protest sign would.

The fact my daughter works the return desk at a HD store has no bearing on this....

[Devilsun]

54. Actually a plastic putty knife sold in paint dept.

[mdbl]

57. Home Depot has always been BIIG repuglican supporters.

Haven't shopped there in a decade.

[A_Steel_Magnolia]

58. Now THAT is...

...thinking outside the box. Love it when people are both smart and clever.

[calimary]

62. Excellent!!!

[MichMan]

63. The cheapest ice scraper at my local HD in Michigan is $3

[Betty Boom]

69. I can't believe the number of negative replies to this

Take your negativity and stick it up your tight behind.

[Raine]

70. Hmmm I'm surprised there isn't more. nt