Los Angeles County officials to vote on emergency declaration over
immigration raids
[October 14, 2025]
By CHRISTOPHER WEBER
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County officials will vote Tuesday on
whether to declare a state of emergency that would give them power to
provide assistance for residents they say have suffered financially from
ongoing federal immigration raids.
The move would allow the LA County Board of Supervisors to provide rent
relief for tenants who have fallen behind as a result of the crackdown
on immigrants. A local state of emergency can also funnel state money
for legal aid and other services.
Funds for rent would be available to people who apply via an online
portal that would be launched within two months, Supervisor Lindsey
Horvath's office said. The motion could also be a first step toward an
eviction moratorium, but that would require a separate action by the
supervisors.
Landlords worried it could be another financial hit after an extended
ban on evictions and rental increases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since June, the Los Angeles region has been a battleground in the Trump
administration’s aggressive immigration strategy that spurred protests
and the deployment of the National Guards and Marines for more than a
month. Federal agents have rounded up immigrants without legal status to
be in the U.S. from Home Depots, car washes, bus stops, and farms. Some
U.S. citizens have also been detained.
Horvath and Janice Hahn said the raids have spread fear and destabilized
households and businesses.
“They are targeting families, disrupting classrooms, silencing workers,
and forcing people to choose between staying safe and staying housed,"
Horvath said in a statement, referencing actions by the Trump
administration. She added declaring an emergency “is how we fight back.”
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Immigration agents conduct an operation at a car wash, Aug. 15,
2025, in Montebello, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
Last week the five-member board voted 4-1 to put the declaration up
for a vote at its regular Tuesday meeting. The sole “no” vote came
from Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who argued that the immigration
raids did not meet the criteria of an emergency and that it could be
unfair to landlords.
“I’m sure we’re going to be challenged legally,” Barger said. The
county's eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted
in multiple lawsuits.
Landlords are “still reeling” from the COVID-era freezes that cost
them “billions of dollars in uncollected rent and prohibited annual
rent increase,” said Daniel Yukelson, CEO of the Apartment
Association of Greater Los Angeles.
He said housing providers are sympathetic to tenants and their
family members affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
activities. But, he said, the association isn't aware of anyone
unable to pay rent due to immigration enforcement.
“If local jurisdictions once again allow rent payments to be
deferred due to ICE enforcement activities, this will lead to the
further deterioration and loss of affordable housing in our
community,” Yukelson said.
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