LA tow truck drivers are not towing ICE vehicles, that claim originated as satire

Are Los Angeles tow truck drivers targeting illegally parked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles as a form of protest? 

PolitiFact is pumping the brakes on that claim. It originated from a satire account.

"BREAKING: A growing group of tow truck drivers in LA are reportedly stalking ICE convoys so they can tow away all the unmarked ICE vans and SUVs that get parked incorrectly the moment the agents get out to start looking for people to abduct and deport," The Halfway Post posted June 20 on X, garnering around 2.2 million views. 

Dash MacIntyre, the comedian behind The Halfway Post, labels his accounts as satirical, he told PolitiFact over Facebook Messenger. "But imitators, thiefs, and viewers with low digital literacy often repost my work without such context," he said.

Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts reshared the original X post as if it were true. 

"The tow truck drivers in Los Angeles are quickly towing ICE vehicles improperly parked! AWESOME WORK!!!!" said a June 24 Facebook post.

"Not all heroes wear capes," commented one user on that post.

The satire comes amid ICE arrests furthering President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to "carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history." 

Recent ICE raids catalyzed protests in Los Angeles County, where about 10% of the county’s population reside illegally in the U.S., The Associated Press reported. 

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In California, towing companies are not allowed to act on their own accord. Law enforcement or traffic enforcement officers must first authorize a CHP-180 form, which is a report of the impounded vehicle. Then, tows can be performed under the direction of law enforcement, said  Eric Rose, the Official Police Garage Association of Los Angeles’ executive director.

Official Police Garages represent the contracted tow operators serving Los Angeles. 

"The idea that a private towing operator could act independently — let alone target federal law enforcement vehicles — is not only implausible, it is illegal," Rose told PolitiFact via email. 

Rose added that "there is no evidence, anecdotal or otherwise, to suggest that any tow company operating under contract with the City of Los Angeles has engaged in this type of conduct."

The claim that tow companies in LA are targeting improperly parked ICE vehicles originated as satire. We rate social media posts sharing this information as factual Pants on Fire!