An LA County sheriff oversight panel now has subpoena power. So why hasn't it been able to use it?
Critics of the L.A. Sheriff's Department say law laws are getting in the way of civilian oversight of the troubled department.(Luke Hales / Getty Images)Civilian commissions that review the conduct of local law enforcement agencies have long been criticized for lacking teeth.One way to remedy that is to give the civilian groups subpoena power so they can compel witnesses to testify or a department to provide documents.Law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, have pushed back against that idea. But in 2020, L.A. County voters approved Measure R, which gave subpoena power to the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission.Six years later, the commission is still having trouble getting the department to comply.“L.A. County voters said loud and clear in 2020 we wanted real oversight with subpoena power.. for real accountability of the largest Sheriff’s Department in the nation,” said Hans Johnson, chair of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission. “We sti
Continue reading
International students say new visa limits are adding to uncertainty they experience
People hold up signs during the Harvard Students for Freedom rally in support of international students at the Harvard University campus in Boston on May 27.(Rick Friedman / AFP via Getty Images)International students in Southern California say new visa time limits imposed by the Trump administration don’t square with the realities of trying to complete a degree in four years.Under the new rules, there is now a limit to how long international students can remain in the country, as opposed to remaining in the U.S. for as long as it took to complete their degree program.Department of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said in a statement that the previous rules allowed thousands to become “forever students” by perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid departure. LAist has reached out to the department about how many of these students are in Southern California.California State University spokesperson Amy Bentley-Smith said international students from over 160 countries “add to the rich d
Continue reading
‘Pretty sure he’s wet:’ Immigration agents used racial slurs during LA sweeps, court records show
Federal immigration agents arrest a man in Bell as residents clash with U.S. Border Patrol agents after a traffic collision involving one of the agency's vehicles during immigration raids across the Los Angeles area on June 20, 2025.(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)Federal immigration agents used racial slurs, including “wet” and “tonks,” to identify people to target while sweeping through Los Angeles last year, according to text messages cited in a new court filing asking a federal judge there to bar agents from racial profiling.Plaintiffs in the Vasquez Perdomo vs. Noem case filed a motion for a preliminary injunction on Monday, arguing that agents had conducted an “ongoing campaign of suspicionless and discriminatory detentive stops” across the Central District of California even after the high-profile street raids of summer 2025 had ceased. As one ICE agent admitted in a deposition, “We’re [still] doing the same thing [as “Operation at Large”] just with a differe
Continue reading
SoCal cools down this week, but don’t get too comfortable
A person wears a hat for shade under the morning sun earlier this year. July has seen a string of hot, humid weeks.(Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)Southern Californians are in for a little relief this week after another muggy weekend.The region is expected to experience a slight cooling trend over the course of the week, though forecasters say conditions will still be hotter than normal and continue to put people at risk of heat-related illness.Highs in most of L.A. and Orange counties will be in the 80s and 90s through Friday. Some interior parts of L.A. County, much of the Inland Empire and the region’s deserts are expected to hit triple digits.Don’t get too used to the — somewhat — milder temperatures either. Forecasters say the heat will soon return with a vengeance.The high pressure system that’s been driving much of this summer’s weather has retreated eastward, forecasters say, allowing for the cooling trend. But the system is expected to migrate back toward Southern Ca
Continue reading
More people are showing up to hospitals in ICE custody. A new report teaches staff how to respond
Protesters rally outside Los Angeles General Medical Center to denounce the treatment of immigrants brought into hospitals by federal agents.(J.W. Hendricks for The LA Local)A legal nonprofit has released a report to help medical professionals care for the growing number of people who are showing up at hospitals in the custody of federal immigration agents.Currently, there are about 65,000 people in ICE detention. Since January 2025, dozens of detainees have died, and many have complained about the lack of medical care in the detention centers that dot the country. As the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign continues, the number of detainees is expected to increase.The report was created by the National Immigration Law Center, a nonprofit that works to defend the rights of immigrants with low incomes. Last week, the report’s authors gathered for a conversation facilitated by Austin Kocher, an assistant professor at Syracuse University who focuses on the U.S. immigration sy
Continue reading
More people are showing up to hospitals in ICE custody. A new report teaches staff how to respond
Protesters rally outside Los Angeles General Medical Center to denounce the treatment of immigrants brought into hospitals by federal agents.(J.W. Hendricks for The LA Local)A legal nonprofit has released a report to help medical professionals care for the growing number of people who are showing up at hospitals in the custody of federal immigration agents.Currently, there are about 65,000 people in ICE detention. Since January 2025, dozens of detainees have died, and many have complained about the lack of medical care in the detention centers that dot the country. As the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign continues, the number of detainees is expected to increase.The report was created by the National Immigration Law Center, a nonprofit that works to defend the rights of immigrants with low incomes. Last week, the report’s authors gathered for a conversation facilitated by Austin Kocher, an assistant professor at Syracuse University who focuses on the U.S. immigration sy
Continue reading
Feds move to drop case against LA labor leader David Huerta
David Huerta, president of SEIU California, was arrested while protesting an ICE raid last year.(Ringo Chiu / AP)Federal prosecutors filed a motion Monday to drop their case against labor leader David Huerta, a year after he was arrested protesting an ICE raid in downtown L.A. last summer. His arrest was one of the most dramatic moments of last summer, sparking a firestorm of criticism.The federal government had charged Huerta, who leads Service Employees International Union California, with a misdemeanor, accusing him of obstructing, resisting, or opposing a federal officer during the first day of immigration sweeps across the region. Prosecutors had originally charged him with a felony, which carried a maximum sentence of six years in prison.The charge against Huerta goes back to June 6, 2025, when he showed up at Ambiance Apparel in downtown L.A., a workplace where federal authorities were executing a warrant. He was arrested and held for three nights in the Metropolitan Detention C
Continue reading
Something was missing from Koreatown’s walls. This artist is trying to bring it back
Artist Dave Young Kim's mural at the Korean Resource Center in Koreatown depicts traditional Korean drummers. The mural was informed by oral histories collected by youth in the Koreatown Storytelling Program.(Nathan Solis / The LA Local)This story first appeared on The LA Local.Murals depicting Korean drummers, dancers and historical figures were a large part of Dave Young Kim’s childhood in Koreatown.At the time, the Korean American artist didn’t know what all of the imagery meant, but it left a lasting impression on him.“We don’t learn culture via formal education. It’s all gleaned,” Kim said. “It’s just what we sense, and we feel a connection to it without actually knowing anything about it. It belongs to us, and it feels very familiar.”Many of the murals Kim remembers from his childhood have since disappeared. With his latest mural at the Korean Resource Center, Kim hopes to bring some of that visual imagery back to the neighborhood.Completed this summer, the mural is Kim’s first i
Continue reading
Will becoming a charter city solve Orange's financial struggles? Voters will decide this fall
The city of Orange will ask voters in November if it should become a charter city.(Carol M. Highsmith / Courtesy of the Library of Congress )Voters in Orange will decide in November if the city should become a charter city.The City Council approved 4-3 at its July 14 meeting to bring the question to voters. Councilmembers Arianna Barrios, Ana Gutierrez and John Gyllenhammer opposed the measure.Orange is currently a general law city, which means it’s bound by state law and mandates. Charter cities still have to follow state law, but can establish their own rules on issues such as mayoral authority, term limits and financial management. Each charter city varies in how they establish those rules. (Read more about the nuts-and-bolts of Orange’s proposed charter city below.)In California, 121 cities have adopted charters, including Los Angeles, Santa Ana and Huntington Beach. Other cities, including Fullerton, have also discussed adopting a city charter.Why this matters Supporters of the ba
Continue reading
Eaton Fire survivors: What’s been your experience with Edison’s compensation program?
An aerial view of Altadena last year.(Mario Tama / Getty Images)Topline:Southern California Edison is offering payments to residents affected by the Eaton Fire. LAist wants to hear your experience.The background: The Eaton Fire burned thousands of homes and businesses in Altadena, and parts of northern Pasadena and Sierra Madre in January 2025. Southern California Edison equipment likely sparked it, the company has said publicly. That’s why the power company launched a compensation program for victims of the fire. Company officials said the program would provide “fast payments and fair resolutions.” Residents who accept a payout are required to agree not to sue Edison.Tell us your experience: Have you applied? Have you received an offer? Did you accept it or reject it? Why? With the deadline to apply coming at the end of November, reporter Erin Stone wants to hear from survivors about their experiences with the program. You can fill out our survey below. We'll read every response, and
Continue reading