The Brief

During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump, who returns to the White House Monday, promised to carry out the “largest deportation operation” in U.S. history.

California is home to the largest undocumented immigrant population in the U.S. More than 12% of the state’s high school students have at least one parent who is undocumented. For these families, mass deportation represents possible long-term separation, family upheaval and the potential loss of educational opportunities.

Regardless of their immigration status, people who live in the U.S. have constitutional rights. To ensure those rights are respected during interactions with immigration agents, advocates across the country are hosting workshops, in person and online.

In a recent webinar for the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), David Lawlor with the nonprofit’s College Legal Services Team offered some advice to anxious college students who are undocumented or have at least one parent who is: In times of uncertainty, “focus on what you can control.”

“And one of the things you can control,” he said, “is knowing your rights.”

Although LAist can’t give you legal advice — you need an immigration lawyer for that — we talked to Lawlor and other legal experts about how people can learn their rights and be prepared to exercise them.

What happened in the first Trump administration?

In some communities, memories of immigration enforcement under the first Trump administration still ignite fear: In 2017, for instance, a Highland Park father was detained after dropping off his daughter at school. The encounter was filmed by one of his children, whose desperate sobs punctuate the video.

In Mississippi, locals recall the day when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents descended on multiple poultry plants and arrested hundreds of workers in 2019. For the children of those employees, it was the first day of school. That afternoon, many of them returned to empty homes.

Workplace raids, which increased during Trump’s first time in office, are expected to resume. ICE currently has a policy that discourages enforcement in “sensitive locations,” including schools and places of worship. But that policy is discretionary, and some immigrant rights advocates anticipate the new Trump administration will rescind it.

What are my rights if immigration officials come to my home?

Lisa Graybill, vice president of law and policy at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), said ICE agents sometimes have warrants issued by the Department of Homeland Security. These administrative warrants do not grant agents permission to enter your home.

Carolina Castañeda, a staff attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), said families should always keep their front doors closed.

If ICE agents knock on your door, you can ask to see a warrant, she said. A valid warrant must be signed by a judge and issued by a court. The agents can either show it to you through the window or slide it under the door.

If your door is open, that doesn’t give agents the right to enter. “It is still a private place,” Castañeda added, “but, unfortunately, it could be that they let themselves in, and it will be more difficult for people to assert their rights. ... We’ve heard of many instances where, if someone just slightly opens the door, they push it open and go in. And this is not right, as they need your permission or a judicial search warrant to be able to enter.”

Sample of a judicial warrant.

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Central American Resource Center

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Graybill also warned that ICE agents “have been known to use ruses.” In New Mexico, she said, agents pretended to be delivering pizza to get one family to open the door.

ILRC created a wallet-sized card to help citizens and noncitizens navigate these encounters. On one side, the card lists their constitutional rights, along with guidance. On the other side of the card, the nonprofit has listed phrases that can be used to communicate with ICE agents. These cards are available online in sixteen languages and can be downloaded for free.

A sample card that can be printed at home. The IRLC ships red versions of the cards for free to nonprofits.

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Courtesy of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center

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How do I talk to an immigration agent?

Castañeda said families can “often feel overwhelmed” by the presence of ICE agents. In preparation for any potential encounters, she recommends practicing what to say and how to behave.

“It’s so difficult to do it when you're actually faced with the problem,” she said. “So we want to make sure that we're training adults and children in the household that whenever anybody comes to our door, we don't automatically open it, we ask who it is. We ask them to identify themselves. And then we want to make sure that, if we know it's immigration enforcement, that we're asserting our rights. We’re asserting our right to remain silent, we're not giving you permission to enter. If you have a judicial warrant, show it to us.”

Families can also show the ILRC card to the agents through the window, or slide it to them under the door, Castañeda said.

If ICE agents do have a judicial warrant, Graybill added, “ideally, you'd be able to reach an attorney and share a copy of that warrant before moving any further.”

“If you're not able to access an attorney quickly,” she said, read the warrant “very carefully” and “really scrutinize” what it gives agents a right to do.

What are my rights if immigration officials go to my job or school?

Just as you would at home, Castañeda said, “assert your right to remain silent. Do not sign anything. Ask to speak with an attorney.”

Agents who show up at a workplace might tell employees to make two lines, one for citizens and one for noncitizens.

If that occurs, Castañeda said, do not comply. “Usually what happens is that [agents] will start interrogating people about their immigration status,” she said.

“Stand still. Assert your right to remain silent. And, then, ask if you’re free to go,” Castañeda said. “Do not run away. Do not present any fake documents. Do not give out false information — don’t give them anything they can use against you.”

“Insist on the ability to speak with an attorney,” Graybill added.

What if I’m a business owner?

For business owners, Castañeda and Graybill also recommend preparing for a potential ICE visit.

“Make a written response plan ahead of time. And practice it, just like a fire drill," Graybill said.

Castañeda and Graybill noted that, without a warrant, ICE agents can only enter spaces that are open to the public. In a coffee shop, for instance, the kitchen and office space are usually solely open to employees. Business owners should “mark those areas, so that it’s clearly visible that they’re private,’” Castañeda said.

On college campuses, ICE agents likewise cannot enter a space that’s not open to the public without a judicial warrant, including dorm rooms and other areas that require a key card to access, Graybill added.

How else can I protect myself and my family?

In addition to knowing one’s rights and preparing to respond to ICE agents, legal experts recommend that families with members who do not have legal status in the U.S. consult with an attorney. “If folks have a pathway that could lead to residency and eventually citizenship, we want to make sure that we're doing that in advance,” Castañeda said.

Julie Mitchell, who founded CARECEN’s College Legal Services Team, said consulting with an attorney is especially crucial for young people. There are government programs that help, such as the Special Immigrant Juvenile classification, which is for people who’ve been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent.

“Some forms of relief are only available until individuals turn 21,” Mitchell said. “Oftentimes, we’re encountering people who’ve aged out of some immigration options.”

Legal experts also recommend that families make a plan, in case they’re apprehended.

• Gather important documents.
  
  • That includes children’s birth certificates.
• If a parent grants another person permission to take care of their child, they need to describe what that will look like in writing, Castañeda said.
  
  • Can they take the child to school? 
  • Can they take them to medical appointments? 
  • Does the child need any medicine?
• Have emergency contact information for other family members.
  
  • For an undocumented family member, write down their date of birth and country of origin. “That's how people can search [for] you on the ICE inmate locator online,” Castañeda said.

• Undocumented family members should also gather any immigration documents.
  
  • “In case a person is detained, their family will have those documents available, to help defend them against the removal,” she added.

ILRC has a guide that describes how to create a comprehensive family preparedness plan step by step. Their free guide is available in English and Spanish.

“No one wants to do this, because it's thinking about being detained,” said Lawlor, of CARECEN. “But it is vital.”

The deadly and destructive Eaton Fire was caused by Southern California Edison equipment, the L.A. County Fire Department said in a report released Tuesday.

The department's investigation into the cause of the fire found that arcing electrical lines ignited unidentified material that fell to the ground in dry vegetation at the base of the utility’s Eaton Canyon transmission tower. Twelve seconds later, the Eaton Fire exploded under windy conditions.

The fire, which began the evening of Jan. 7, 2025, ultimately killed at least 19 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 homes.

This article will be updated. Check back for details.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Galen Banks spent years cycling through addiction and homelessness after leaving the U.S. Navy with an other-than-honorable discharge.

On Monday, standing inside the Koreatown home where he has lived since April, Banks said rebuilding his life has also helped him reconnect with his daughter after nearly seven years without contact.

“I feel good. My mental health is going well,” Banks said. “When I was out there … I was using crack, I was stealing, I was breaking into people’s cars. I wasn’t talking to my daughter.”

Galen Banks, the first resident of a new affordable housing development for veterans in Koreatown, sits inside his apartment Monday, Aug. 3.

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Hanna Kang

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The LA Local

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Banks, 50, who is recovering from drug addiction, is the first resident of a new affordable housing development that transformed a historic Craftsman house into 19 individual units for veterans, many of whom had experienced homelessness and, like Banks, were discharged under conditions that often leave them ineligible for Veterans Affairs benefits.

Banks served aboard an aircraft carrier before he was discharged in 1998 after being caught smoking marijuana. After leaving the military, his addiction worsened, leading to a four-month prison sentence in 2009 on a drug paraphernalia conviction.

He was later transported from Folsom State Prison to Los Angeles to address an outstanding warrant, but after a court gave him credit for time served, he had no way to return to Fresno, where he was required to report for parole.

“That’s actually when my homelessness started, because I had no way to get back to Fresno,” he said. “And eventually, I ended up on Skid Row.”

More than a decade later, Banks is one of 19 veterans living in the converted Craftsman house, giving him his first stable home in years and the opportunity to begin rebuilding his life.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joined housing advocates, city officials and nonprofit partners Monday to open the $16 million development, which she said demonstrates how smaller existing properties can be converted into affordable housing.

“Affordable housing doesn’t always mean large, high-rise buildings,” Bass said. “We have to think creatively to reimagine some of the historic spaces that define our communities as we accelerate the creation of more housing.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, center, joins city officials and others during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new 19-unit affordable housing development for veterans in Koreatown on Monday, Aug. 3.

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Hanna Kang

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The LA Local

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The project, developed by Holos Communities on city-owned land, preserves much of the home’s original character.

Rather than demolishing the historic Craftsman as originally planned, developers retained the facade facing the street and restored features including leaded-glass windows, high ceilings and a roof built with wood salvaged from the original home, while adding a contemporary three-story residential wing in the rear.

“It wasn’t just about historic preservation,” said Logan O’Phelan, director of operations for Holos Communities. “It also preserves resident well-being.”

O’Phelan said the building’s high windows, ceilings and porch encourage cross-ventilation and natural cooling. Retaining the house’s appearance also allows the development to resemble neighboring homes, he said, reducing the stigma sometimes associated with supportive housing.

Construction was delayed for years due to financing after Holos was awarded the site in 2019, according to O’Phelan. Ground broke in 2024. 

Residents receive intensive case management, stable housing assistance and health care connections through The People Concern. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles committed 15 project-based vouchers for 20 years and expects to provide nearly $7 million in rental subsidies, according to officials.

Identifying 19 veterans took nearly a year because the development is specifically intended for people with other-than-honorable discharges, according to Lety Muro, a community development coordinator for Holos Communities.

On Monday, Bass said Los Angeles recently placed its 1,000th veteran into permanent housing through her House Our Vets initiative. 

For Banks, having his own space has allowed him to focus on what comes next. He hopes to get a service dog and work in peer support, helping veterans and people recovering from addiction navigate struggles similar to his own.

After moving into the building in April, Banks said he found the confidence to reconnect with the daughter he feared had written him off during the years he spent unhoused.

“But it was totally the opposite,” Banks said. “She said, ‘Where you been? I missed you.’ Yeah, we got a good relationship today.”

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District will hold a public hearing Wednesday to consider ordering additional measures to reduce odors during cleanup of the Lineage warehouse fire site. 

The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. and will include public testimony. Community members can participate in person, by Zoom or by phone.

Since July 12, the South Coast AQMD has received nearly 4,000 odor complaints that inspectors have traced back to the cold-storage warehouse, according to a petition for an abatement order filed against Lineage. If granted, the order would require the company to, among other things, power wash and disinfect concrete flooring once all solid waste is removed from the second freezer on the eastern half of the facility.

The hearing board will consider the petition at Wednesday’s meeting. 

Between July 12 and July 30, South Coast AQMD issued 19 violations to Lineage, alleging the company created a public nuisance by releasing odors that affected nearby residents, according to the notices of violation. The agency alleges that Lineage violated South Coast AQMD Rule 402 and California Health and Safety Code section 41700, which can lead to civil penalties ranging from $1,000 to $75,000 per day.

Lineage has said it is working to mitigate the rancid smells coming from its warehouse as it hauls away dozens of truckloads of waste.

“We are using a variety of approaches to minimize the effects, including: physical barriers (StormWrapper), applying a bleach solution in and around the building, running mist deodorizing systems around the site, and applying deodorizers directly to the debris to reduce odors as much as possible during that period,” according to Lineage’s website. “It will get better as the cleanup progresses.”

At a July 9 forum, Lineage Chief Operations Officer Jeff Rivera said the company was aiming to complete the cleanup within 45 days, a deadline set by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. 

How to attend the hearing

In person: South Coast AQMD Headquarters, Hearing Board Room, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Zoom: https://aqmd.zoomgov.com/j/1617214661 (Meeting ID:  161 721 4661)

Telephone: 1-669-216-1590  (Meeting ID:  161 721 4661)

Webcast: http://www.aqmd.gov/home/news-events/webcast

Instructions on how to participate via video or teleconference can be found here. The agenda can be found here.

How to report odors

The South Coast AQMD urges residents to call 1-800-CUTSMOG if they’re dealing with odors and to file a complaint every day so the agency can track the severity.

Anyone in the area can report odors, the agency said.

After receiving complaints, an inspector is sent to confirm the odor. People can call every day that they’re experiencing odors, and a public nuisance citation is issued after inspectors can confirm six complaints. People filing a complaint are required to provide their first and last name, location address and contact information in order to confirm the smell.