The beauty we found when we looked past ICE sweeps
Yusra Farzan
covers Orange County and its 34 cities, watching those long meetings — boards, councils and more — so you don’t have to.
Published June 20, 2025 11:36 AM
The streets in this area are typically lively with pedestrians and shoppers. Recently, though, many say it resembles a ghost town.
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Yusra Farzan
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LAist.com
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Topline:
The mood on La Cuatro has changed amid immigration sweeps and the arrival of the National Guard. On a recent afternoon, it was like a ghost town with no foot traffic and no street vendors. But there was also something else we discovered — a community rallying to take care of its own.
What happened? Jose Rodriguez, known as Mr. Diablito, a fruit vendor who typically sets up shop at the corner of 4th and Bush streets, said he's a permanent resident, with a green card. But he's reluctant to go to his usual corner, worried that he could be swept up by a raid. So the nearby Alta Baja Market on 4th Street, a marketplace known for wares from California, Mexico and the American Southwest, is now selling his fruit cups.
Why it matters: The small businesses in this downtown area have learned to pivot over the last few years in order to survive. First, it was COVID-19. Then, the O.C. Streetcar project — a light rail project constructed through the downtown area. And now the ICE detentions and National Guard presence. All have all disrupted businesses — but not the community’s spirit.
Read on ... for more about a community struggling to survive in the face of fear.
La Cuatro — as the downtown stretch in Santa Ana is fondly called by locals — is usually a busy destination.
Families shop for quinceañera dresses, others check out El Vaquero, known for its cowboy boots. Street vendors serve up cold agua frescas or fruit cups loaded with lime and Tajín. Everywhere you look, Latin culture is front and central in this mostly Latino city.
But, now with the federal government stepping up immigration enforcement, the mood on La Cuatro has changed. On a recent afternoon when a LAist reporter visited, it was like a ghost town with no foot traffic or street vendors.
A storefront selling quinceañera dresses — seen at left — is closed for business in the middle of the day on Wednesday, June 18.
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Yusra Farzan
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LAist
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It’s like the pandemic all over again, said Jose Rodriguez, known as Mr. Diablito, a fruit vendor who typically sets up shop at the corner of 4th and Bush streets.
Rodriguez said he's a permanent resident with a green card. But he's reluctant to go to his usual corner, worried that he could be swept up by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and detained.
Which explains why nearby Alta Baja Market, known for wares from California, Mexico and the American Southwest, is now also selling fruit.
Owner Delilah Snell opened her doors to Rodriguez to sell his fruit cups brimming with coconut, watermelon, melon, lemon, pineapple, orange, cucumber and jicama in her brick-and-mortar store because Mr. Diablito is “a part of the fabric of our downtown”.
“When I heard that was happening, I needed to do something, whatever I could,” Snell said. “I just said, let's do a shelf here and then I'm going to get them on our catering menu.”
And now the ICE detentions and National Guard presence.
All have all disrupted businesses — but not the community’s spirit.
”The culture of our downtown, the way that all these independent businesses work, and there a lot of them are family owned, it makes this city unique, special,” Snell said. “ When you come here, you're really meeting business owners, you're meeting part of our culture.”
And that culture is all about taking care of its own these days.
Painting monarch butterflies to raise funds
Alejandra Vargas runs Vibes Boutique on 4th Street: it’s a one stop shop for Labubus, clothing fit for a Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar concert and Mexican talvera pottery products.
Since the protests and raids began, she has lost about 80% of walk-in customers. And her business was damaged during the protests.
During Saturday’s No Kings protest, Vargas said she opened her shop to give water bottles to the demonstrators and allow them to use her restroom. She locked up the shop and left at 8 p.m. She returned the next morning to find a glass window shattered.
She said the security camera footage revealed law enforcement shot at protesters and hit her window.
Vargas said when she spoke to the police department, they said that they would take accountability and asked her to file a claim.
But she'd have to pay upfront to get the damage fixed. Within hours, though, Councilmember David Penalooza had city staff clean up the glass and board up the shop window. And a GoFundMe raised enough to cover repairs.
The community rallied around her, so now she’s looking to rally around them.
On Saturday and Sunday, she's opening the doors to her shop for a sip-and-paint event to raise funds for Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).
" Business owners are scared. Customers are scared so it means like right now it's a dead town,” she said. “There's no one walking around. It's super scary to think maybe you could be taken away from your family so no one's coming out.”
Vargas, a DACA recipient, has been worried about mixed status families and undocumented folks who are sheltering in place.
”Bills are not gonna stop for them,” she said.
The event will also help boost community morale, she added.
David Wagner
covers housing in Southern California, a place where the lack of affordable housing contributes to homelessness.
Published November 20, 2025 2:12 PM
From left to right, Jose, Sandra and David Rodriguez stand outside their recently completed accessory dwelling unit in Altadena.
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David Wagner
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LAist
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Topline:
Jose Rodriguez wasn’t trying to be the first person in Altadena to finish a new home after suffering a loss in the Eaton Fire. But thanks to his decades of construction experience — and fast work by his crew — Rodriguez earned that distinction earlier this week.
The reaction: A county inspector congratulated Rodriguez on receiving Los Angeles County’s first certificate of occupancy on a property impacted by the January fire.
Comment from the county: The office of Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, celebrated the completion of the Rodriguez family’s new ADU in a written statement to LAist.
“Knowing a fully permitted ADU has transformed what was once a garage into a safe, permanent place to call home feels good and is an important milestone,” the statement said.
Read on … to learn how many building permits have been issued so far in the county’s Eaton Fire burn zone.
Jose Rodriguez wasn’t trying to be the first person in Altadena to finish a new home after suffering a loss in the Eaton Fire.
But thanks to his decades of construction experience — and fast work by his crew — Rodriguez has earned that distinction. Earlier this week, a county inspector congratulated him on receiving Los Angeles County’s first certificate of occupancy on a property impacted by the January fire.
Speaking with a reporter in Spanish, Rodriguez said he wasn’t expecting this kind of attention.
“It feels strange because I’m not used to this,” he said. “I feel good. I feel happy because everything is finished."
‘An important milestone’
The completed home is a backyard accessory dwelling unit for his adult son, David Rodriguez. (Disclosure: David works on LAist’s community engagement team). The younger Rodriguez previously lived in a unit attached to the family’s garage.
The property’s main home survived the fire, but the garage and the attached studio apartment burned down.
The office of L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, celebrated the completion of the Rodriguez family’s new ADU in a written statement to LAist.
“This is another tangible reminder that Altadena’s recovery is moving forward,” the statement read. “Knowing a fully permitted ADU has transformed what was once a garage into a safe, permanent place to call home feels good and is an important milestone. This is what steady, determined progress looks like."
A team effort
David Rodriguez said the two-bedroom ADU, with its brand new bathroom and kitchen (complete with dishwasher), is an upgrade from his previous space.
“Both of my parents have worked very hard to just move it along,” he said. “It also wouldn't be possible without the people who were working here as well … the plumber and the electricians and the workers who were putting up everything.”
Rodriguez said he has strong childhood memories of watching his father, a retired carpenter, getting ready for work before the sun came up.
“He would leave super early in the morning, like at 4 or 5 a.m.,” he said, adding that the experience was hard-earned but came in handy during the family’s fire recovery process.
“He has that knowledge,” the son said.
The scene immediately after David Rodriguez’s home was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
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David Rodriguez
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LAist
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Getting ready to rebuild
Jose Rodriguez said the process moved quickly because he knew the building process inside and out. He knew how to get plans drawn up, how to apply for building permits, how to assemble a construction crew and how to pass county inspections.
Switching to English, he recalled the moment he got his building permits.
“I have everything ready. I have other people coming to help me,” he said. “I have my list. I have everything.”
Construction took a little over three months. His wife, Sandra, pitched in too. She cooked hot meals for the construction workers on site.
After living in a string of hotels and short-term rentals, the family moved back into their main house about a month ago. Sandra Rodriguez said she looks forward to seeing their son finally return to his own space.
She observed his reactions throughout the construction process.
“Every time when we came here to the back, I saw his face, smiling,” she said. “As a mom, I can feel he's very happy with this new place.”
The kitchen in David Rodriguez’s new accessory dwelling unit comes with a dishwasher and new cabinetry.
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David Wagner
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LAist
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Recovery is slow but visible
David Rodriguez said this feels like a hopeful moment, not just for his family but for an entire community slowly recovering from profound loss. He’s encouraged when he sees framing for other ADUs starting to go up on nearby lots.
“We all lost a lot,” he said. “I think we're all still very much grieving as a community. And I really hope that we can all just continue to rebuild.”
So far, L.A. County’s Department of Public Works has issued 829 building permits in unincorporated areas affected by the Eaton Fire. Nearly 6,750 housing units were destroyed in the fire.
Julia Barajas
has experienced the hazards of driving up to Big Bear in bad weather first-hand.
Published November 20, 2025 2:08 PM
A snow-covered section of Highway 38 near Big Bear.
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Michael Heiman
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Highway 38, one of the main roads leading to Big Bear, is closed to traffic due to damage caused by Tropical Storm Mario. Caltrans is clearing the debris, but the agency estimates the effort will take until June 2026.
Where is the closure? Highway 38 is closed from Mill Creek Road to Hill Ranch Road.
What are some alternate routes? Visitors can still get to Big Bear through Highway 330/Highway 18 or Highway 18. Due to increased congestion on these routes, be sure to plan for extra travel time.
Where can I check for updates? To scope out current highway conditions, you can visit the Caltrans website or call (800) 427-7623.
Good to know: Snow is forecasted in the coming days, so visitors may be required to use tire chains, which provide extra traction to help prevent accidents on icy roads. Visitors can buy these ahead of time at a local auto parts store (shops in Big Bear might run out), and it’s a good idea to practice putting them on your tires before heading to the mountains.
Aaron Schrank
has been on the ground, reporting on homelessness and other issues in L.A. for more than a decade.
Published November 20, 2025 1:49 PM
Tents line up in a row in downtown Los Angeles on June 28, 2024.
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Genaro Molina
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
Facing a $303 million deficit next fiscal year, L.A. County officials propose cutting roughly a third of homelessness programs and services next budget year.
Proposed cuts: The draft spending plan, presented during a virtual town hall on Thursday, would gut prevention, outreach and supportive services beginning in July to pay to maintain temporary shelter beds and absorb rate increases previously covered by other funding sources.
Why a deficit? County officials say the shortfall stems from a few factors. Measure A, the county's sales tax for homeless services, has generated less revenue than anticipated as consumer spending declines. Additionally, several sources of temporary federal and state funding have expired or are expiring, according to county officials. Lastly, the rates the county has to pay service providers to operate shelter beds has gone up.
Next steps: The new Department of Homeless Services and Housing is asking for feedback from the public on the plan through the first week of December. Officials will then draft a revised spending plan and present it to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors in January. The proposed funding changes would take effect in the budget year beginning July 1.
Facing a $303 million deficit next fiscal year, L.A. County officials propose cutting roughly a third of homelessness programs and services.
The plan, which is not yet finalized, would gut prevention, outreach and supportive services to maintain temporary shelter beds and absorb rate increases previously covered by other funding sources.
The new county Department of Homeless Services and Housing is asking for feedback from the public on the plan through the first week of December.
Proposed cuts
The draft spending plan, presented during a virtual town hall on Thursday, proposes eliminating or significantly reducing funding across multiple areas next budget year, beginning in July.
" This is to prioritize funding beds and housing,” said Sarah Mahin, the new department’s director. “And these are very difficult decisions about how to prioritize our limited resources."
Closing down 20 of 30 existing Pathway Home program sites (more than 700 beds).
Slashing county street outreach staff by half.
Eliminating funding for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s housing navigation program.
Eliminating all county homelessness prevention funding, which includes case management.
Eliminating $12 million for programs that provide legal and employment services.
Eliminating funding for all four of the county’s existing Safe Parking sites.
Reducing funding for DPSS’ benefits advocacy by half — $5 million
Eliminating $10 million in direct funding to Glendale, Long Beach and Pasadena.
Why the cuts?
County officials say there's a large projected deficit in funding for homeless services next year.
The shortfall stems from three main factors.
Measure A, the county's sales tax for homeless services, has generated less revenue than anticipated as consumer spending declines.
Additionally, several sources of temporary federal and state funding have expired or are expiring, according to county officials.
Lastly, the rates the county has to pay service providers to operate shelter beds has gone up. The county is proposing to spend 46% more (an additional $86 million) to operate about 6,000 “interim housing,” or shelter beds, next year.
Officials said that new spending would not add any beds, but would maintain existing beds, at increased costs.
Community concerns
The county has been conducting community engagement sessions since July, working with the consulting firm Changewell to gather input.
During the virtual town hall Thursday, frontline workers and advocates raised alarm about the human impact of the cuts. Mahin acknowledged the concern, saying it's why the department wants the Board of Supervisors to approve the plan in January to allow adequate time to “ramp down programs.”
Mahin said the county is trying to be proactive by releasing the draft plan well before the budget deadline and soliciting extensive public comment. She said the plan also attempts to coordinate with the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, which administers separate funding for homelessness prevention and affordable housing.
Next steps
The new county department is soliciting public comment on its website until Dec. 5. Officials will then draft a revised spending plan and present it to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors in January.
The proposed funding changes would take effect in the budget year beginning July 1.
What Horvath says:Horvath’s motion says the settlement with CEO Fesia Davenport “was only disclosed in response” to LAist’s public records request, and that otherwise “it is not at all clear how the public generally would have any idea that a settlement was reached.” The county supervisors “can do more to make the public aware of how the Board conducts business and how public funds are being spent,” she added.
Read on... more details about what the transparency proposal would do.
L.A. County residents could soon be getting more transparency about payouts to county executives after LAist revealed a secretive $2 million settlement with the county’s CEO.
Horvath’s motion says the settlement with CEO Fesia Davenport “was only disclosed in response” to LAist’s public records request, and that otherwise “it is not at all clear how the public generally would have any idea that a settlement was reached.”
The county supervisors “can do more to make the public aware of how the Board conducts business and how public funds are being spent,” she added.
The backstory
Last month, LAist brought to light that the county had quietly paid a $2 million settlement in August to Davenport. The settlement had been kept under wraps from the public and county workers.
The settlement was in response to her claims that the supervisors harmed her reputation and caused her distress by putting a measure before voters — which was approved — that will create an elected county executive position. It’s among multiple reforms to restructure county government under last year’s voter-approved proposition, known as Measure G.
What Horvarth is proposing
Among other things, her motion would order county officials to report back in 60 days “on pathways to improve transparency for settlements with County executives” — including creating a public online dashboard showing “as much settlement-related information” as allowed by law.
That would include details like the executive’s name, the dollar amount and when it was approved.
Multiple executive payouts
Davenport was one of several county executives who’ve gotten sizable settlement payouts over the past few years.
