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LA County park visits plunged after the 2025 ICE raids. Attendance still hasn’t recovered.
A visitor kayaks at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in El Monte.
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Damian Dovarganes
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AP Photo
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A year after ICE raids swept through Los Angeles, attendance at six county parks still hasn’t recovered, according to researchers from UCLA and UC Berkeley.
The parks lost an estimated 150,000 visitors across the past two summers compared with 2024, a decline researchers link to immigration sweeps.
The joint report, released Thursday by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute and the UC Berkeley Latinx Research Center, reviewed data from six fee-charging parks in LA County: Santa Fe Dam, Castaic Lake, Whittier Narrows and Kenneth Hahn recreation areas, as well as Frank G. Bonelli and Peter F. Schabarum regional parks.
LA County parks lost an estimated $380,000 in potential revenue
The study counted about 21,000 fewer vehicle entries in 2025 and 17,000 fewer in 2026. Across 12 matched summer weekends in June, July and August, entries fell 17%. Researchers estimated four visitors per vehicle to calculate attendance.
The decline in visitors is believed to have cost the parks about $380,000 in additional entry fees.
Two parks, however, did see modest gains in visitors: Schabarum and Kenneth Hahn.
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Parks near Latino communities saw the biggest declines
The report’s authors also found significant drops at parks near large Latino communities. Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale saw an estimated 8,500 fewer vehicle entries in 2025, while Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, near South El Monte, saw 7,000 fewer.
“Our latest findings show how these effects extend to something as simple as families spending a day in nature,” said Nicholas Vargas, one of the report’s authors and a professor at UC Berkeley, in a prepared statement. “Angelenos are already dealing with the economic pressures of rising costs. Losing safe access to parks where they can relax, experience the joys of community, and get away from those stresses only makes things harder.”
L.A. County considers most county property, including parks, sensitive locations. However, that designation does not prevent immigration agents from entering public areas.
Many people have described how the raids have impacted their daily lives. That disruption extends to everyday activities, from visiting public spaces to caring for their families and running their businesses. Local elected leaders have tried to provide some level of protection.
Federal immigration raids surged in the Los Angeles area in 2025, with particularly intense confrontations between federal agents and community protestors that summer. Before the raids, park use was relatively consistent, the report’s authors noted, with community members using the athletic facilities and gathering for family birthday parties.
Find immigration coverage and resources, including know-your-rights information, mental health support and more here.
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