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Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who spearheaded the motion, says the “emergency” was necessary after activists pushed for new housing protections. The Los Angeles Tenants Union had lobbied the board for weeks, insisting ICE operations made residents afraid to go to work — a talking point that conveniently doubles as an excuse for rent relief and legal funding.
The Manufactured Crisis
County lawyers admitted any eviction ban must be “temporary and narrowly tailored,” but landlords see the writing on the wall. They remember the COVID-era moratorium that dragged on for three years, draining billions in unpaid rent and crushing small property owners.
The county now claims that ICE operations starting June 6 caused residents to fear leaving home or accessing public services. They even cite a survey alleging a 62% drop in immigrant earnings and that 71% returned to work “despite deportation fears.” The proclamation also repeats unverified claims that landlords threatened to call ICE if tenants couldn’t pay rent — an accusation that sounds more like activist propaganda than fact.
What the county conveniently leaves out: these ICE operations aren’t targeting families or random workers. They’re going after criminals — gang members, murderers, drug traffickers, and child predators — the kind of violent offenders that California’s sanctuary laws keep on the streets.
Between June 6 and June 22 alone, ICE arrested 1,618 immigrants in the Los Angeles area. By late August, that number had topped 5,000. Many had prior convictions for violent crimes, assaults on police officers, and sexual abuse. That’s who LA County is now rushing to protect.
California’s Playbook: Protect Criminals, Punish Citizens
This isn’t an accident — it’s a pattern. Los Angeles is using the same pandemic-era tactics to push political agendas that undermine federal authority. During COVID, emergency powers were abused to strip landlords of rights and reward non-payers. Now, the same playbook is being dusted off — this time to obstruct immigration enforcement.
California’s sanctuary laws, passed in 2017, already prevent local police from cooperating with ICE unless a “serious crime” is involved. The result has been deadly. In 2025, Inglewood resident José Cristian Saravia-Sánchez — arrested 11 times between 2022 and 2024 — murdered a man after local law enforcement ignored ICE detainers because of state policy.
To counter the chaos, the Trump administration launched Operation Guardian Angel earlier this year, authorizing federal arrest warrants that sanctuary jurisdictions can’t sidestep. Since May, 78 criminal aliens have been captured under the program — all ignored by local officials until the feds stepped in.
Political War Disguised as ‘Compassion’
Supervisor Horvath defended the declaration, saying, “What’s happening in our communities is an emergency — and Los Angeles County is treating it like one.” But the only real emergency here is that the federal government is finally enforcing immigration law after years of Democrat obstruction.
ICE’s enforcement campaign began in early June after Trump ordered a crackdown in sanctuary cities. Protests quickly erupted, some turning violent as demonstrators clashed with police, set fires, and blocked freeways. Trump responded by federalizing the California National Guard and deploying Marines to restore order — the first such move in six decades.
Predictably, leftist politicians like Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass sided against law enforcement. One federal judge even tried to halt the raids, calling them “indiscriminate,” despite ICE presenting evidence of multiple arrests involving convicted murderers and gang members.
Taxpayers Foot the Bill — Again
This “emergency” isn’t about compassion. It’s a taxpayer-funded rebellion against federal law. LA County plans to use public money to fund legal aid for those helping criminal aliens dodge ICE — while potentially suspending rent obligations for anyone claiming “fear” of deportation.
Even landlord associations are sounding the alarm. The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles blasted the move, warning that any new moratorium “will lead to the further deterioration and loss of affordable housing in our community.”
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the only “no” vote, summed it up perfectly: “I’m sure we’re going to be challenged legally.” She’s right — because the last round of “emergency” policies left small landlords bankrupt and the housing market gutted.
Now, LA’s leaders are using that same chaos to wage political war against Trump and ICE — and hardworking Americans are once again being forced to pay the price.
