This coastal walk is an easy stroll that takes in some picture postcard sights. But one thing you're unlikely to see? Crowds.
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Welcome to LAist City Treks, a series of easy hikes and walks that will help you explore the parts of Los Angeles and SoCal that we rarely get to see — or only see through the car window. Expect to get about 5K steps, and plenty of photos for your social media channels. We even include recommendations for grabbing a bite to eat once you're finished, so you can make a day of it. If you go, tag us on social media @LAistOfficial and #LAistTreks
Where are we headed? This week, we're going on a family-friendly walk in Channel Islands Harbor and Hollywood Beach in Oxnard, two coastal gems with ocean breezes… and vociferous wildlife. (We're talking sea lions!)
Why now? Beach weather is here, and so are the L.A. crowds. Not so in Oxnard, an easy jaunt north off the 101 Freeway that is also served by various rail options. Though Oxnard flies under the radar, the region along this route has long been desirable. Silent movies were shot along its strand, and Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin were part-time residents, spawning its nickname “Hollywood by the Sea.”
Quickly, what can I expect? An easy 2.9-mile walk that is nearly all flat and paved (although you might want to veer off and sample the wide, sandy beach). And, it you're lucky, you'll spot sea lions. (Actually, you might hear them barking and arfing before you see them.)
All that walking could sure work up an appetite: Agreed! We have several options for eating along the route, or when you're done. There's the Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut or the Hollywood Beach Café, which serves up all the breakfast favorites as well as Channel Island Tots (tater tots covered in cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and of course Thousand Island sauce, all an homage to the Channel Islands that are visible in the distance.) LAist's Associate Editor for Food and Culture Gab Chabrán also suggests taking a few miles further up the coast to Brophy Bros.' Ventura location, a spot known for its fish and chips and other seafood delights.
Welcome to LAist City Treks, a series of easy hikes and walks that will help you explore the parts of Los Angeles and SoCal that we rarely get to see — or only see through the car window. Expect to get about 5K steps, and plenty of photos for your social media channels. Keep scrolling, because you'll also find recommendations for grabbing a bite to eat once you're finished, so you can make a day of it. If you go, tag us on social media @LAistOfficial and #LAistTreks
Where are we headed?
For a family-friendly walk through Channel Islands Harbor and Hollywood Beach in Oxnard, two coastal gems with ocean breezes… and vociferous wildlife. (We're talking sea lions!)
Why now?
It's going to be another hot weekend. And we're looking for ways to stay cool. Oxnard is an easy jaunt north off the 101 Freeway and is also served by various rail options. Though Oxnard flies under the radar, the region along this route has long been desirable. Silent movies were shot along its strand, and Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin were part-time residents, spawning its nickname “Hollywood by the Sea.”
Monday, July 8, at 6 p.m., at Chevalier's Books in Larchmont Village
Quickly, what can I expect?
Route conditions: Flat and paved, with a small portion of dirt (though some may wish to veer off and sample the wide, sandy beach)
Difficulty: An easy 1 out of 5, with 5 being the hardest
Distance: 2.9 miles
Dog friendly: Yes
Parking: Free street parking on Harbor Boulevard, and three-hour parking in the trailhead’s parking lot if you patronize one of its establishments
Bathrooms: Public restrooms available along the Channel Islands Harbor walkway and on the beach just west of the intersection of Ocean Drive and La Brea Street
Also: The Channel Islands Maritime Museum is currently open Thursdays through Mondays from noon to 4 p.m. Double check the hours before you go if you want to stop in.
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Oxnard is a lot of things. As the only deepwater port between L.A. and San Francisco, it’s well-suited for naval bases like Point Hueneme. Its fertile soil boasts world-famous strawberries. And its dunes — or at least, what’s left of them — inspired Paramount Pictures to stick fake palm trees in the sand to double as the Arabian desert in The Sheik, starring the bedroom eyes of Rudolph Valentino. By the mid-1920s, however, Oxnard’s sandy strand was subdivided into the residential neighborhood known today as Hollywood Beach.
Before retracing the footsteps of glitterati ghosts, let’s begin on the leeward side of the peninsula — an area of shops, eateries, and recreational facilities abutting the southern end of Channel Islands Harbor.
Enter the parking lot at 2800 Harbor Blvd. and find your way to Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut, a bayside restaurant slinging up breakfast and lunch since 1974. (If you come on a Sunday, consider bringing a cooler and some ice: This lot also hosts a wonderful farmers market between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. that often includes the day’s catch.) Stroll toward the rear of Mrs. Olson’s. On its left-hand side, access the paved walkway that hugs the small-craft marina. Turn right, heading south.
What is this sea of boats?
Over the next mile, the walkway offers a sun-kissed stroll past bobbing boat masts along the harborfront. Reminiscent of Marina del Rey, the 310-acre harbor was dredged out of wetlands and sand dunes, resulting in 2,150 boat slips. Check for kiosks among the palm trees and greenbelts that line the pathway.
The marina provides a scenic backdrop to this stroll.
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Along the stroll, look for informational kiosks. This one is a map of the Channel Islands, some of which can be seen in the distance if skies are clear.
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Oxnard is a wonderfully sleepy seaside town also known by its nickname, "Hollywood by the Sea."
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Oxnard's soil is known to produce amazing strawberries. If you plan your trip for a Sunday, bring a cooler and bags and cash: The farmers market is wonderful.
One-tenth of a mile past the museum, the palm-lined walkway abruptly ends at a hedge. Time to swing over to the windward side of things!
What's all that barking?
At the end of the walkway, you’ll notice a cul-de-sac to your right, which marks the end of Albacore Way. Take Albacore’s sidewalk for 150 feet, turning left at the T-intersection with Harbor Boulevard.
Now you're strolling Harbor’s eastern sidewalk, as it bends toward the mouth of the channel. Benches are conveniently placed to take in boats cruising in and out of the harbor. At Channel View Park you’ll encounter another cul-de-sac — the end of Ocean Drive.
On your right, a triangular median features a giant wood-carved map of the Channel Islands; on your left, by a jetty, are two fiberglass California sea lions commemorating longtime Oxnard resident Bernice “Nell” Wolven, a community leader who died in 1997. The statues are often accompanied by the sound of barking sea lions. Wait a minute, is there a speaker in these things? Nope, you’re hearing the real deal.
You might hear the sea lions before you see them on this stroll, their barking and arfing piercing the air. Unless, of course, they're quietly snoozing in the sun.
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Step on the dirt between the cul-de-sac and the jetty. Follow the jetty — or the cacophony of sea lions — for about 20 yards. During a recent visit, I found a dozen of these dogs of the sea raising a ruckus — arfing, tussling, frolicking, posturing, or simply catching some Zs along the rocks. Needless to say, please keep a respectful distance. (Of course, wild animals, like rock stars, operate on their own whims; there’s no guarantee they’ll always show up.)
Where the celebrities slept
Leaving the jetty, return to the cul-de-sac and proceed along Ocean Drive, away from the channel. The street has no sidewalk, so take care, but it typically sees as many pedestrians as vehicles in this sleepy residential area.
Back in its Hollywood heyday, this stretch of Ocean consisted of cottages and bungalows, many of which housed movie stars and producers. Now it’s mostly multilevel stucco dwellings, with one standout: a 1920s-era adobe at 3125 Ocean Dr.
Rumor has it Mr. Valentino lived here while shooting The Sheik. The current owner has installed a “CASA VALENTINO” sign on the side of the house. Those wishing to sleep in the same bedroom as Silent Cinema’s famous lover can rent the place out on Airbnb.
What's more surprising: This wide sandy stretch? Or that you'll have it all to yourself? Certainly, it will be busier in the summer months. But still, nothing like L.A.'s busiest beaches.
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Many of these homes are available to rent. Can't get any closer to the sand!
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These street signs help you understand why Oxnard is sometimes dubbed "Hollywood by the Sea."
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The drifting sands over paved streets and sidewalks can making driving, cycling and walking a bit slippery. So, tread carefully.
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Another sign that this was an industry town.
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Continuing along Ocean, cross-streets such as Las Palmas and La Brea will give L.A. folks a sense of déjà vu. (Ditto streets like Hollywood, Highland, and Cahuenga, farther south.) I guess those old-timey Hollywood types really did want this place to feel like home.
Streets paved with… sand?
If you can’t leave here without stepping onto the actual beach of Hollywood Beach, you can access the shoreline through any of the public passages on your left. On a clear day, two Channel Islands — Anacapa and Santa Cruz — are visible on the horizon, less than 20 miles away. (Make a mental note: Must visit!) Even if you don’t hit the beach, it will come to you anyway. Ocean Drive literally lies on the edge of the sand — so close that portions of the street are constantly covered in the grainy stuff as it drifts through, between houses.
At Los Altos Street, turn right to explore a tiny but quaint retail block that includes the Hollywood Beach Café. Go left on Sunset Lane, then right on W. Channel Islands Boulevard. In 0.2 miles, the street intersects Harbor Boulevard.
Take the crosswalk across Harbor, which leads to the parking lot from which you started. As for that mental note to visit the Channel Islands? Island Packers Cruises lies a little farther down the lot. The family-run concessionaire offers daily transportation to the islands and will set you up on a fun adventure. My family still talks about the time we kayaked through the sea caves of Anacapa Island and its famous natural arch. Who knew? Now you do!
This could be you, frolicking off the Channel Islands.
A meal at Brophy Bros.' Ventura location will require a drive north of about six miles, but totally worth it for beachside dining. (Note that there is a second location that is much further north, in Santa Barbara, so GPS accordingly.) Consider calling ahead for a reservation or using Yelp's waitlist. Brophy Bros. lands on LAist's Beach Eats list for its views, and its seafood, including their fish and chips:
Toppers Pizza is a family run and family-friendly chain known for keeping a tight menu of pizzas, salads and sandwiches. And what they do, they do well.
Location: 2701 Peninsula Rd., Oxnard Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment reporter and brings you the top news you need for the day.
Published June 4, 2026 6:23 PM
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Patrick T. Fallon
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Topline:
California is notoriously slow at counting ballots, which means it may take a while before voters have results for some significant races. A big one is the L.A. mayor's race with Nithya Raman gaining some ground on Spencer Pratt in the race for second place. But there are five other races to pay close attention to.
What are the races?
L.A. City Council, District 9
L.A. County Sheriff
L.A. County Measure ER
OC Board of Supervisors, District 5
U.S. House, District 32
Read on: For a breakdown on what's happening as more ballots get counted.
California is notoriously slow at counting ballots, which means it may take a while before voters have results for some significant races. A big one is the L.A. mayor's race with Nithya Raman gaining some ground on Spencer Pratt in the race for second place.
Jose Ugarte maintains his lead ahead of Estuardo Mazariegos as of Thursday night. The two leave four other Latino candidates far behind in this race.
For the first time since 1963, L.A.'s District 9 will not be represented by a Black councilmember.
L.A. County Sheriff
Incumbent Robert Luna and former sheriff Alex Villanueva are holding on to their places in the two top spots. Luna maintains a significant lead — about 20 percentage points — over Villanueva.
If you're getting déjà vu, that's because the two went head-to-head once before in the 2022 General Election.
The increase was expected to have generated $1 billion to backfill funding gaps left by federal cuts to Medi-Cal.
Orange County Board of Supervisors, District 5
Incumbent Katrina Foley is still falling just short of regaining her top spot from Diane Dixon. Unless Dixon receives more than 50% of the votes, the two will face off in the November election.
U.S. House, District 32
Incumbent Rep. Brad Sherman and Republican Larry Thompson are likely to square off in November for the race to represent District 32 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sherman maintains a tight lead.
District 32 spans from the western San Fernando Valley to the coastal cities.
About the vote count
For LAist's charts showing vote counts, we get numbers directly from the L.A. County and Orange County registrars of voters for local races. Totals are updated on our site as soon as possible after the registrars provide new tallies. For statewide races, counts come from the California Secretary of State's Office.
Keep in mind that, in tight races particularly, the winner may not be determined for days or weeks after election day. That's because early voting and mail-in ballots have fundamentally reshaped how votes are counted and when election results are known. In L.A. County, for example, updates on the counting are expected to continue through June 26. After the polls closed on election night, we had updates to the official count regularly into the early hours Wednesday. After that, updates have been daily around 5 p.m. Expect updates on the following days: June 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 24 and 26. Final results must be certified by July 10.
Our priority during the vote count will be sharing outcomes and election calls only when they have been thoroughly checked and vetted by journalists. To that end, we will report when candidates concede and otherwiserely on NPR and the Associated Press for race calls (before official results). We will not report the calls or projections of other news outlets. You can find more about NPR's and the AP's process for counting votes and calling races here, here and here.
If your mail-in ballot has any problems (like a missing or mismatched signature), your county registrar must contact you to give you a chance to fix it.
Official results
The California Secretary of State's Office is required to certify the final vote tallies by July 10, marking the official end of the 2026 primary election.
LAist's Voter Game Plan will be back in the fall to help you prepare for the Nov. 3 general election.
Ask us a question
What questions do you have about this election?
You ask, and we'll answer: Whether it's about who's funding the campaigns or how to track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2026 election
Erin Stone
has covered the L.A. fires and their aftermath since Day One.
Published June 4, 2026 6:09 PM
Workers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spray hydro seedling over a cleared property in Altadena in April 2025.
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Topline:
A potent carcinogen may have spread to communities as far as nine miles downwind of the Eaton and Palisades fire burn zones during debris clean-up, according to a new peer-reviewed study in the journal Nature.
Why it matters: UCLA and UC Davisscientists measured nanoparticles of hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6, during fire debris cleanup, and computer models show the carcinogen may have spread downwind.
Read on ... for more on why experts say the study is not reason to panic, and how it may inform protections for future fire survivors.
A potent carcinogen may have spread to communities as far as nine miles downwind of the Eaton and Palisades fire burn zones during debris clean-up, according to a new peer-reviewed study in the journal Nature.
A team of researchers has been studying the air pollution effects of clearing the remains of more than 16,000 homes and businesses destroyed in the 2025 fires.
Scientists with UCLA and UC Davis drove through Altadena and Pacific Palisades in an electric vehicle with mobile air monitors periodically over about seven months after the fires. They measured nanoparticles of hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6, within the cleanup areas. Paint, auto parts, electronics and fire retardant are possible sources, but more study is needed to understand where the chromium came from, the researchers said. They also detected other airborne metals, including lead and arsenic.
The researchers used computer modeling to understand how far those airborne particles may have spread beyond the immediate burn zones. About 3 million people live in the areas that could have been exposed, according to the scientists’ models.
The highest concentrations of nanoparticles — particles less than 1/1,000th the width of a human hair — were measured in March 2025, about two months into the debris removal effort in both burn zones. But the toxicity declined as time passed.
“ The good news is that some of those toxic metals, they were converted back to less toxic forms over time,” said Michael Kleeman, professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Davis and lead author of the study. “So in the months after the wildfire, the threat from this sort of decayed away.”
In communities outside the burn zones, concentrations diluted further as the plume moved downwind, Kleeman said. By eight months after the fires, the researchers measured that heavy metal concentrations had fallen to background levels for the L.A. basin.
The research highlights how “even after the fire is over, the danger isn't gone,” Kleeman said.
An aerial view of properties cleared of fire debris in Altadena in July 2025.
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Mario Tama
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Cleared lots in the Palisades Fire burn zone stretch into the distance.
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How concerned should you be?
The researchers and outside experts emphasized to LAist that the study’s findings do not prove widespread contamination of homes, businesses or the environment.
“ I hope we can get a message of caution out there, but not panic,” said Kleeman.
Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University post-disaster environmental risk researcher who was not involved in the study, said the research is far from proving what, if any, harm to human health could occur, especially because no indoor testing was carried out.
“Drawing a line from street-level detections to indoor exposure, without confirming that the [chromium-6] outdoors entered homes at levels posing health risks, is a significant leap,” he said.
Whelton, who carried out soil testing in the L.A. fire burn scars, said he worries the paper could needlessly sow fear because so many open questions remain. He has argued for funding and establishing more comprehensive contaminant testing at the individual household level in the wake of such destructive fires — the most definitive way to know your personal risk.
“The bottom line: detecting nanoparticles in outdoor air does not mean harm occurred to 3-plus million people living and working inside buildings,” Whelton told LAist.
The average levels of chromium-6 detected in the air during debris cleanup in March were well below limits set for workplaces by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, but above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency long-term screening levels for homes, according to the study.
Still, those comparisons are imperfect because the particles measured were far smaller than what’s used for current health standards — meaning they can more easily travel throughout the body, Kleeman said.
“We don't know for sure what the concerning level should be,” he said.
Workplace standards, for example, are set for healthy adults working eight-hour shifts, “rather than for sensitive populations such as young children, pregnant individuals, older adults, or people with chronic illness,” said Jun Wu, an environmental health scientist and professor at UC Irvine’s School of Public Health, who also was not involved with the study.
More comprehensive study is needed to get at what true exposures may, or may not, have occurred, the Kleeman and outside researchers emphasized.
“This is a single, novel finding based on limited sampling, with the downwind reach estimated by modeling,” Wu said, “so broader monitoring is the natural next step.”
Where the nanoparticles may have spread
The broadest potential plume was from the Palisades Fire, spreading as far as the southern San Fernando Valley to the north and Beverly Hills and West Hollywood to the east. Kleeman said computer modeling of prevailing winds show the plume being pushed toward central L.A.
“Santa Monica, Venice and moving toward central L.A. took the brunt of the plume,” Kleeman said.
Prevailing winds didn’t spread the plume quite as far in communities near the Eaton Fire, with modeling showing northeast Pasadena being the primary community affected.
A map from the study showing the ZIP codes where a airborne chromium-6 may have spread during debris removal.
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Many unknowns remain about the public health effects of catastrophic fires in urban areas — and how far those risks may drift beyond the burn zone.
“More work is needed to understand how widespread and persistent these particles were, how exposure varied by location and cleanup activity, and what the health risks were for nearby residents,” said Sina Hasheminassab, an air quality researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who was not involved in the study.
How to protect yourself during and after a major urban wildfire
Debris cleanup workers and residents in or within nine miles downwind of the burn zones in the year after the L.A. fires should be mindful of any new health symptoms and report them to a doctor. You can also find resources, report symptoms or ask questions via the ongoing LA Fire Health Study.
Steps to take to reduce contaminant exposure during or in the wake of an urban wildfire:
Your HVAC system should have MERV-13 or higher HEPA filters.
Standalone air purifiers should have HEPA and carbon filters.
If there’s a risk of exposure to smoke or particles from active fire or debris cleanup, wear an N95, KN95 or equivalent mask outside. Keep windows and doors closed at home. Consider putting wet towels or more secure types of sealants along sills and doorframes to help prevent smoke or dust getting in.
Wipe down dusty areas with wet cloth to prevent particles from becoming airborne.
Don’t bring potentially contaminated clothing or shoes indoors.
The surest way to understand your personal risk of exposure to toxins is to get your home’s air and soil tested. Here are some resources to learn more about that and what to test for:
Post Fire’s expert Q&As answer many common questions from fire survivors.
The L.A. Fire Health Study also has these resources.
Purdue University has recorded webinars for various aspects of fire recovery, as well as helpful information for soil testing here and here.
Additionally, the study raises questions about how to better protect people’s health not only during, but also after destructive urban fires, said Wu.
“Much of our attention goes to the smoke during the active fire, but this study points to the cleanup and recovery phase,” she said. “This time window deserves just as much attention as the fire period itself.”
For example, some survivors whose homes survived never left during debris removal — some cited concerns about not being able to afford another place to stay without upfront insurance payouts, as well as worries about looting.
The study notes that workers in the burn zones faced the highest risk.
“Based on our field observations, many workers in the debris cleanup zone did not wear masks despite California requirements to provide approved air purifying respirators to workers,” the researchers wrote.
Crews remove wildfire debris on hillside property in Pacific Palisades last year. Researchers note in a recent study that many workers they saw weren't using respiratory protection.
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Survivors push for policy to protect public health after wildfires
Nicole Maccalla’s home in Altadena was damaged but ultimately survived the Eaton Fire. She and her two teenagers moved back in nearly six months after the fire, while debris removal was ongoing. Her daughter’s school nearby was also reopened just a month after the fires.
“ I know I was exposed. I know my kids were exposed,” Maccalla told LAist. “I'm not really sure what to do with that, to be honest.”
“Our entire community is really now guinea pigs,” she added. “It’s deeply concerning.”
Nicole Maccalla, with her kids, Seb and AJ. Their Altadena home survived the Eaton Fire but suffered serious smoke damage.
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Maccalla, a data scientist and member of Eaton Fire Residents United, helped guide ongoing research by scientists like Kleeman to better understand the levels of contamination after the fires.
She said this study is a warning.
“ I think in the future, we need to move a little slower in fire recovery. The goal should not be speed. The goal should be health and safety,” Maccalla said. “We rushed it, and I hope that we learn from this mistake.”
She and fellow survivors see some hope in a new bill they helped inform. AB 1642, or the Wildfire Environmental Safety and Testing Act, is making its way through the California Legislature.
The bill, written by Assemblymember John Harabedian, would establish the first statewide health standards for testing and cleaning up debris in and outside standing homes, schools, businesses and other structures after a wildfire.
Maccalla urged fellow survivors worried about the results of this study to prioritize caring for their mental and physical wellbeing.
“The stress of all of this is just going to be an added component that will be another contributor to us getting sick long term,” she said. “So many of us are still in survival mode. It's time, I think, to start taking care of ourselves a little bit.”
Keep up with LAist.
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Protesters march through downtown Los Angeles last summer after federal immigration agents conducted raids.
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Jae C. Hong
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Topline:
A year after the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort was unleashed in L.A. County, locals reflect on what they’ve endured — and what lies ahead.
A date to remember: On June 6, 2025, federal immigration agents targeted a Home Depot in Westlake, where day laborers were gathered to solicit construction work. About three miles east, more agents descended on Ambiance Apparel, a fast-fashion warehouse in downtown Los Angeles. Angelenos witnessed workers getting handcuffed and hauled away.
The backstory: Trump’s mass deportation effort, first tested in Bakersfield, was brought to Los Angeles, then to other cities, including Chicago, where a federal agent killed a 38-year-old single father named Silverio Villegas-González, and Minneapolis, where federal agents killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
What's next: Over the next two months,nonprofits like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights will host events to draw attention to the raids’ impact on local families. Detained immigrants themselves are engaging in activism. From Delaney Hall in New Jersey to Adelanto in California, people inside ICE detention centers have launched hunger strikes to expose conditions they describe as unsafe. The Department of Homeland Security says there are no hunger strikes at these facilities and that conditions there are optimal.
A year ago, the Trump administration launched a deportation campaign that would leave an indelible mark on L.A. County.
On the morning of June 6, masked federal immigration agents targeted a Home Depot in Westlake, where day laborers were gathered to solicit construction work. About 3 miles east, more masked agents descended on Ambiance Apparel, a fast-fashion warehouse in downtown Los Angeles.
At both locations, Angelenos witnessed workers getting handcuffed and hauled away. For some, those workers were friends, siblings, spouses or parents.
Purportedly meant to remove criminals from the country, federal immigration officials would go on to arrest more than 14,000 people in the greater Los Angeles area in 2025 — the majority of whom had no criminal record, according to an LAist analysis of recent data from the Deportation Data Project.
These detentions, and the ones that followed, ignited sweeping marches and community activism. Met with occasional violent resistance, the federal government deployed active-duty military personnel to the region.
So far, the mass deportation effort has left the following in its wake:
In Ladera Heights, a food vendor clung to a tree to avoid being taken by federal agents. When they hauled her away, she was still wearing her work apron.
In the San Fernando Valley, a high school senior took his dog for a walk and did not come home. A neighbor said she saw four men in tactical vests standing near unmarked SUVs shortly after the teenager was detained.
In Monrovia, a 52-year-old day laborer who worked to support his wife and four daughters died after being struck by an SUV on the freeway. He was attempting to flee a raid at a local Home Depot.
Trump’s mass deportation effort, first tested in Bakersfield, has been escalated to other cities: This includes Chicago, where federal agents killed Silverio Villegas-González, a 38-year-old single father, and almost killed Marimar Martinez, a Montessori school teaching assistant. Then, in Minneapolis, federal agents shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The federal government branded Martinez, Good and Pretti — all U.S. citizens — as “domestic terrorists” and accused them of trying to harm officers.
Eeking out a living in the raids’ aftermath
In downtown L.A.’s once-bustling fashion district, business hasn't bounced back. LAist spoke with multiple workers in the area. They declined to share their names for fear of reprisal.
Since the raid at Ambiance, “it hasn’t been the same,” said a worker at a nearby shop. She works at a party supply store specializing in piñatas and embroidered graduation stoles. She’s always waiting for the other shoe to drop, she said.
“[One feels] insecure because you never know how the day is going to go,” the worker told LAist.
At Ambiance Apparel, around the block, an employee estimated a massive loss of income for the store, as much as 50%. (The store did not immediately respond to requests for comment.)
Angelenos, including workers' family members, gather in front of Ambiance Apparel after several employees were taken into custody by federal agents last summer.
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Since last June, the Home Depot in Westlake has been targeted for raids at least four times. Even so, day laborers still mill about the home improvement megastore’s parking lot, soliciting construction work from homeowners and contractors.
One worker, a 39-year-old from Guatemala who declined to give his name, said he witnessed the raid last year but managed to get away. He was frightened, he told LAist, but he still came back to work the next day; he has five children to support, including one studying to become a nurse.
“Ni modo, hay que comer,” he said, noting that people need money to eat. “Siempre hay necesidad.”
The reality, he said, is that he’s defenseless if agents were to show up again. Despite his own situation, he feels for the other workers around him.
“Es muy triste,” he said. “Están luchando por sus hijos, para seguir adelante” — “It’s really sad. They’re fighting for their children, to get ahead.”
Finding strength in community
Beyond the marches last summer, Angelenos continue to find ways to support local immigrant communities. Some have offered to buy groceries for those who struggle to make ends meet or are simply scared to leave their homes. Others have volunteered to give their neighbors rides to school or work. Several regions have organized community patrols to warn about the presence of federal agents.
Activism has not eluded younger generations. At high schools and middle schools across the county, students have walked out of class in protest.
At Olive Vista Middle School in Sylmar, about 100 students left their science, English and math classes earlier this year. To critics who thought they should have stayed inside, 11-year-old Alejandro said: “They don't understand how much we love our parents.”
Across the U.S., detained immigrants themselves are engaging in activism. From Delaney Hall in New Jersey to Adelanto in California, people inside ICE detention centers have launched hunger strikes to expose conditions they describe as unsafe and inhumane. The Department of Homeland Security insists there are no hunger strikes at these facilities, and that detainees get “three meals a day, medical care, and receive full due process.”
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights has also planned a slew of L.A. events during the months of June and July to draw attention to the raids’ impact on local families — and to the unique challenges faced by certain workers, including car washers and custodians.
“A year after the cruel immigration surge that shook all Angelenos, our message is clear: Fear did not defeat us, cruelty did not divide us, and militarization did not silence us,” said executive director Angelica Salas in an email. “We remember, we resist, and we recommit ourselves to the struggle for justice, dignity and the humanity of every Angeleno.”
All eyes will be on these numbers as votes continue to trickle in. Note that this is a screengrab and will not reflect updates. See map embedded in the story below for live, detailed results.
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Erin Hauer and Kirsten Liu
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LAist
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Topline:
Early trends show Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman making slight gains on reality TV personality Spencer Pratt in the race to face incumbent mayor Karen Bass in November.
The count: By Tuesday night, Pratt had collected enough votes to put him squarely in the second spot, with a substantial lead over Raman.
But by late Wednesday, Raman had gone from just over 20% of the vote on election night to a little over 22% in the latest tally. Pratt gained about a tenth of a percentage point to about 30%.
Hundreds of thousands of votes remain to be counted, according to the county registrar.
Is Raman still in it?: “I think she has a shot at catching Pratt but I think it's a long shot,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. “It requires her to get a large percentage of the votes that remain to be counted.”
Go deeper... read on for more on the race.
A Los Angeles council member and a reality star are separated by about 33,000 votes in the race for a runoff spot against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in November.
Early trends show L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman making slight gains on reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, with the latest tally released Thursday evening narrowing the gap slightly.
The Associated Press has called one runoff spot for Bass.
Votes are still being counted, and the L.A. County Registrar of Voters will receive ballots postmarked by Election Day up until seven days later. Hundreds of thousands of votes remain to be counted, according to the registrar.
Where the race stands now
By Tuesday night, Pratt had collected enough votes to put him squarely in the second spot, with a substantial lead over Raman.
But by late Wednesday, Raman had gone from just over 20% of the vote on election night to a little over 22%. Pratt gained about a tenth of a percentage point to about 30%. Thursday's release put Raman at 23.42% to Pratt's 29.35%.
“I think she has a shot at catching Pratt but I think it's a long shot,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. “It requires her to get a large percentage of the votes that remain to be counted.”
Raman, who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is likely to benefit from the later vote tally, Yaroslavsky said.
“The later votes tend to be more Democratic and more progressive and that inures to her benefit,” Yaroslavsky said.
[Note: Katy Yaroslavsky, his daughter-in-law, is far out in front in her reelection bid for CD5.]
Why it still may not be enough
The problem for Raman is that two days ago she was about 40,000 votes behind Pratt and last night was about 38,000 votes behind Pratt, he said.
Raman needs to gain much more than 2,000 votes a day to eclipse the 38,000 vote deficit, according to Yaroslavsky.
[The Thursday release had her gaining at a higher clip.]
“She really has to get the preponderance of the votes that will be coming in in the next week or so,” he said.
Paul Mitchell, a Democratic strategist whose company tracks ballot return data, said Republicans were reflected heavily in the early returns but as the votes continue more Democrats will be represented.
However, it may not be enough to give Raman the boost she needs. He noted that Pratt is losing votes in every vote update, but not all of those votes are going to Raman. They’re split between her and Bass.
“While [Pratt] will drop every release, I'm not sure that Raman will increase fast enough to meet and surpass him,” Mitchell said.
He explained a theory that many Bass and Raman voters held onto their ballots ahead of Election Day and that many of them were likely "establishment voters," meaning they leaned toward the incumbent.
“ So I think that in the end, we might find that [Pratt] hangs on, and the reason why he hung on is because the people who were voting at the end, the Democrats, were voting more for Karen Bass,” Mitchell said.