LA residents want the state to do more about trash fires, dumping, masked gunmen and nearby encampments
Residents of LA's South Bay community say they are fed up with dumping, trash fires and rising crime in their neighborhood — issues they claim are directly tied to nearby homeless encampments.
The area sits at the intersection of multiple jurisdictions, including Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrans, the state of California and the city of Los Angeles. That overlap has made it difficult to determine who's responsible for addressing the growing problems, but locals say they're hopeful that Governor Gavin Newsom's new ordinance targeting homeless encampments will finally be a solution.
"We just want some law and order," local business owner Caesar Verdin told reporters.
"Everyone pays their taxes. California is one of the most expensive states to live in and we feel like our tax money should be coming up with solutions instead of the problems getting bigger."
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"It's pretty lawless out here," Verdin told Fox 11 reporters. "Kids aren't allowed to go outside on their own without adult supervision."
Verdin's family has owned and operated the local business for more than 40 years. He says things have gotten significantly worse in recent years.
A recent report from the Los Angeles Fire Department seems to back up his claim. The department says that people experiencing homelessness (PEH) have been involved with at least 500 trash fires in the area since January 1st, 2025, according to Fox 11 News. The department noted a 475% increase in rubbish fires from 2014 to 2024 and while not all incidents are directly tied to homeless encampments, many are.
The local Watts Fire Station told Fox 11 News that 'easily' 95% of the fires they respond to are homeless-related. Under the 105/110 freeway interchange alone, more than 1,000 fires have been recorded this year.
But fires aren't the only concern. Masked gunmen recently rolled up in the area with AK-47s. Graffiti is also an issue and locals say that violent crime and illegal dumping have also escalated. Dave Matthews, a community activist, says bizarre, large-scale dumping has also been an issue.
"We have 400 pounds of pork shoulder marinating on Figueroa and 127th that was dumped overnight. And then on Saturday, we had 1,000 pounds of pork ribs dumped on the street."
The nearby railroad tracks have also become dangerous. In a recent tragic incident, a woman lying on the tracks had her leg severed by a train that was unable to stop in time.
"And then a homeless person actually took the leg into an encampment," said Matthews, who found the limb.
Locals are hopeful that Governor Gavin Newsom's new model ordinance related to homeless encampments will finally bring peace to the area.
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The Public Policy Institute of California reports that the population of unhoused people in the state is estimated at 187,000, or 24% of the estimated total in the country. Moreover, two in three of these have no shelter at all. The ballooning issue of homelessness in the state is said to be one Governor Gavin Newsom hopes to shrink in time for a presidential run in 2028.
The area where many of the fires and illegal dumping are taking place — described by Fox News as an '8-square mile danger zone' — is unique in that small sections of land owned by the city, state and private railways all intersect with each other. Responsibility for the area and enforcement on it has become a hot potato, making it easier for illegal activities to take place and encampments to thrive.
In May, Gov. Newsom unveiled a model ordinance urging California cities to take quicker action to address unsafe or illegal encampments and connect unhoused residents with services.
While cities aren't required to adopt it, the ordinance provides a framework to restrict 'persistent camping' in a single location and to prevent encampments from blocking sidewalks and public spaces. It also encourages jurisdictions to provide notice and make a reasonable effort to offer shelter before clearing an encampment.
The rollout was paired with the announcement of $3.3 billion in grant money for facilities to treat mental disorders, including substance abuse. According to ABC 7 News, cities may be required to comply with the ordinance to access this funding.
However, homeless advocates say punitive measures don't work and the ordinance is not enough. Carolyn Coleman, executive director and CEO of the League of California Cities, says most cities already have similar ordinances. To solve the issue, they need money to address the root causes of homelessness, such as lack of housing.
For residents of South LA, the issue feels urgent. Fires, violent crime and hazardous dumping have become part of daily life and the complex tangle of jurisdictional responsibility only makes matters worse.
While Newsom's proposed ordinance has brought hope, many locals say real change will only come with enforcement — and the political will to fund lasting solutions.
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Fox News
25 minutes ago
- Fox News
DOJ slams Newsom's 'crass political stunt' over Trump's call-up of National Guard amid LA anti-ICE riots
The Department of Justice (DOJ) argues the courts should deny California's request for a restraining order against the Trump administration over its decision to activate National Guard soldiers in Los Angeles after violent riots broke out over the weekend amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the city. Democratic leaders in California claim President Donald Trump abused his authority by invoking a provision of Title 10 that allows the president to mobilize the National Guard if an invasion or rebellion is underway. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday that Trump caused the bulk of the rioting because he unnecessarily deployed the military to protect ICE personnel and federal buildings. Newsom also claimed local and state police had the situation under control when Trump spurred chaos by issuing his National Guard proclamation. Weighing in on the matter a day ahead of a scheduled hearing, the DOJ made its case that Trump had the authority to call on the National Guard's response. "In a crass political stunt endangering American lives, the Governor of California seeks to use this Court to stop the President of the United States from exercising his lawful statutory and constitutional power to ensure that federal personnel and facilities are protected," the DOJ said. "But, under the Constitution, the President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, and the President is responsible for ensuring the protection of federal personnel and federal facilities." Since Friday, violent rioters who object to ICE's enforcement of immigration laws have targeted and damaged federal buildings, injured federal personnel and impeded federal functions, the DOJ said. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and other state and local law enforcement officials have been unable to bring order to Los Angeles, the DOJ claimed. The agency also pointed to a comment made by LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, who said during a news conference that "things have gotten out of control" and warned that "somebody could easily be killed." "Evaluating the unrest and threats to the enforcement of federal law that local and state authorities were unable or unwilling to control, the President responded by using the authority vested in him by statute and the Constitution to federalize and deploy the California National Guard to protect federal personnel and property, quell the mobs, and restore order," the DOJ wrote. "When the situation escalated further, the Secretary of Defense deployed a group of U.S. Marines to further assist. "The President has every right under the Constitution and by statute to call forth the National Guard and Marines to quell lawless violence directed against enforcement of federal law," the DOJ continued. "Yet instead of working to bring order to Los Angeles, California and its Governor filed a lawsuit in San Francisco seeking a court order limiting the federal government's ability to protect its property and officials." The DOJ said California's request would "countermand" the president's military directives, which would be "unprecedented." "On the merits, Plaintiffs' claims are baseless," the DOJ said. Newsom also claimed Trump never consulted with him before activating the National Guard, though the statute does not have such a requirement, the DOJ said. "It merely directs, as a procedural matter, that the President's orders be conveyed "through" the Governor," the DOJ wrote. "They were." Historically, courts did not interfere when former President Dwight Eisenhower deployed the military to protect school desegregation, nor did they interfere when former President Richard Nixon deployed the military to deliver the mail during a postal strike. Ultimately, the DOJ recommended the court deny California and Newsom's motion for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction. Newsom's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.


The Hill
42 minutes ago
- The Hill
ICE raids accelerate, protests spread
Evening Report is The Hill's P.M. newsletter. Sign up here or subscribe in the box below: Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here THE WHITE HOUSE vowed Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids would continue 'unabated,' as protests spread from Los Angeles into other major American cities. Demonstrations have sprung up in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, Austin, Denver, San Francisco and other major cities. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) sought to rally the nation to his side, as U.S. Marines prepared to join National Guard troops dispatched to keep the peace in Los Angeles. 'This isn't just about protests here in Los Angeles,' Newsom said in a direct-to-camera address. 'This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes.' The White House warned protesters there would be consequences if demonstrations in other cities get out of hand. 'Let this be an unequivocal message to left-wing radicals in other parts of the country who might be thinking about copy-catting the violence in an effort to stop this administration's mass deportation efforts,' said press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 'You will not succeed. Any lawlessness will only strengthen this president's resolve to defend the majority of Americans who want to live their lives peacefully, free from the fear of violent criminal illegal aliens.' The New York Police Department said at least 80 people were arrested at anti-ICE protests in lower Manhattan on Tuesday night. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) deployed the National Guard to deal with protests in his state. 'Peaceful protest is legal,' Abbott posted on X. 'Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest. @TexasGuard will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order.' ICE took more than 70 people into custody during an immigration enforcement operation at a meat packaging facility in Omaha. Leavitt said more than 330 people in the country illegally have been arrested in Los Angeles over the past few days, and that more than 100 had prior criminal convictions. 'This administration is going to continue the mass deportation effort that the president promised the American public,' she said. President Trump's border czar Tom Homan said the protests are making immigration raids and deportations 'difficult' and 'dangerous' for the officers seeking to carry them out. 'They're not going to stop us,' Homan told 'NBC Nightly News' anchor Tom Llamas. 'They're not going to slow us down.' Organizers with 'No Kings' are planning about 1,500 demonstrations across the country to protest the military parade scheduled for Saturday in D.C. to mark the Army's 250th birthday. It's also Trump's 79th birthday. Protests and boycotts could also be in effect tonight at the Kennedy Center, where Trump and first lady Melania Trump will attend a production of 'Les Misérables.' LOS ANGELES ON EDGE Hundreds of U.S. Marines are expected to be deployed soon alongside the thousands of National Guard troops in Los Angeles, which has been racked by vandalism, looting and some violent altercations with the police. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) instituted an 8 p.m. curfew on Tuesday night, resulting in dozens of arrests for those who stayed out. Two men have been arrested for allegedly possessing Molotov cocktails. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Los Angeles is 'at a good point.' 'We're hoping it's going to get under control, we hope the curfew will work and we're going to continue to do everything we can to keep California safe if the government of California is not going to help them,' Bondi said. Newsom fumed at what he described as federal interference that furthered the chaos. 'This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation,' he said. A judge rejected Newsom's request to limit troop deployment, pending a Thursday hearing. The Department of Justice called Newsom's lawsuit a 'crass political stunt.' On Thursday, three Democratic governors from blue 'Sanctuary States' will testify before Congress: Govs. Tim Walz (Minn.), Kathy Hochul (New York) and JB Pritzker. 'Sanctuary cities and states will no longer be allowed to shield illegal criminal from deportation,' Leavitt said. 💡Perspectives: • American Conservative: Trump, Newsom play to their bases. Who will win? • Washington Post: Dems ignored the border. The consequences are here. • The Liberal Patriot: Both parties lose the plot on immigration. • The New York Times: The military may find itself in an impossible situation. • City Journal: Trump's unapologetic defense of the rule of law. Read more: • Trump team to send thousands of migrants to Guantanamo. • McIver indicted on federal charges for immigration center encounter. • Senate Dems spar with Hegseth over legality of Los Angeles deployments. • Dems rage against Trump's moves in LA, as some worry about optics. • GOP backs Trump on LA, but there's skepticism over deploying Marines. CATCH UP QUICK NEWS THIS AFTERNOON Trump, Musk talk reconciliation President Trump and Elon Musk are talking about reconciliation, days after their relationship imploded in a mess of threats and allegations. Early Wednesday morning, Musk expressed regret over the feud, which he escalated by alleging Trump had ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week,' Musk wrote just after 3 a.m. EDT. 'They went too far.' Trump, who threatened to end government contracts for Musk's companies, was asked if he could reconcile with Musk. 'I guess I could,' Trump said in a podcast interview. 'But you know, we have to straighten out the country. Yeah, and my sole function now is getting this country back to a level higher than it's ever been.' Trump said he was mostly upset at Musk for trying to sink his 'big, beautiful bill.' Musk has been raging at the levels of spending and debt in the Trump agenda bill ever since his time at the White House leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) came to an end. 'I have no hard feelings,' Trump told the New York Post's Miranda Devine. 'I was really surprised that that happened,' Trump continued. 'He went after a bill… And when he did that, I was not a happy camper.' The New York Times reports that Trump and Musk spoke on the phone ahead of Musk's expression of regret. The latest on the 'big, beautiful bill'… Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says he'll keep senators in Washington during the July 4 recess to complete work on Trump's agenda bill by the self-imposed deadline. House Republicans are teeing up changes to the bill, with intent of voting later this week. The Hill's Mychael Schnell and Emily Brooks explain: 'The tweaks come after the Senate parliamentarian reviewed the sprawling package and identified provisions that do not comply with the upper chamber's procedural requirements for using the budget reconciliation process, which allows Republicans to circumvent a Democratic filibuster and approve the legislation by simple majority.' MEANWHILE… A pair of House panels voted to advance legislation laying out oversight of the crypto market, amid opposition from Democrats. And House Republicans advanced legislation that calls for more than $450 billion to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction and other programs for fiscal 2026. It's the first of the 12 annual funding bills House GOP appropriators are hoping to move out of committee before Congress leaves for its August recess. 💡Perspectives: • The Spectator: The tech-MAGA alliance is far from over. • Very Serious: A terrible field of New York mayoral candidates. • The Hill: Trump, Congress can end abuse of taxpayers by PBS and NPR. • The Guardian: Trump wages war against U.S. citizens. • MSNBC: Americans prep for nationwide 'No Kings' rallies. Read more: • House GOP schedule interviews with former Biden aides. • Foreign investors recoil from 'discriminatory' tax in Trump's big bill. • 5 takeaways from the New Jersey primaries. • Sergio Gor cements himself as 'vital' part of Trump's White House. • Most voters in favor of Trump's 'most favored nation' drug price policy. IN OTHER NEWS US, China agree to new trade framework U.S. and Chinese officials announced an agreement in principle on a new trade framework after three days of meetings in London. The deal effectively restores a previous agreement, which the U.S. had accused China of breaking. Both countries will lower tariffs and roll back export controls on goods that are critical to technology. The deal still must be signed off on by President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said over Truth Social the U.S. would impose 55 percent tariffs on Chinese goods, while China would impose a 10 percent tariff on U.S. products. In addition, China will supply magnets and 'any necessary rare earths,' while the U.S. will draw back restrictions on Chinese students attending U.S. universities, Trump said. Trump enjoyed a raft of good news on trade and the economy on Wednesday. An appeals court ruled that the bulk of Trump's tariffs can remain in place for now, extending a pause after a different court ruled the tariffs were illegal. 'A great and important win for the U.S.,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. And the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data showed inflation coming in lower than expected, contrary to economic forecasts that predicted tariffs would provoke a spike in inflation. Trump has openly pressured Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates, but Powell has refused, citing uncertainty from the trade wars. Vice President Vance ripped the Fed on Wednesday, saying Trump has been proven right. 'The president has been saying this for a while, but it's even more clear: the refusal by the Fed to cut rates is monetary malpractice,' Vance posted on X. 💡Perspectives: • The Hill: Military spending is out of control. • The New Republic: The audacity of Trump's self-dealing. • USA Today: Progressives are destroying Democratic norms. • Wall Street Journal: Newsom positions himself as leader of the opposition. • The Economist: Is there a woke right? Read more: • GM investing $4 billion in production shift to US. Someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up to get your own copy: See you next time!


Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Anti-ICE riots reveal the left has learned nothing. It's just handed Trump a gift
Editor's note: The following column first appeared in City Journal. Over the weekend, news of federal enforcement agencies conducting immigration raids sparked massive protests in Los Angeles. The city's mayor, Karen Bass, had denounced the enforcement campaign on X last Friday, accusing the Trump administration of sowing terror and defiantly stating, "We will not stand for this." Also fanning the flames was California's governor, Gavin Newsom, who claimed that the raids were "tearing families apart" and called the immigration arrests "chaotic," "reckless," and "cruel." Progressive groups' denunciations of the raids were even harsher. The ACLU called the enforcement plan an "oppressive and vile paramilitary operation," while a spokesperson for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network referred to the arrests as kidnappings. As word of the campaign spread, the protests quickly devolved into riots. Social media feeds were soon filled with scenes reminiscent of the violent unrest of summer 2020: looting, crowds surrounding burning vehicles, rocks thrown at law-enforcement cars, American flags set aflame, and the 101 freeway shut down. Such violence should have drawn swift and widespread condemnation from both left and right. Instead, prominent Democrats have largely remained silent on the mayhem, reserving their outrage for President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard to restore order—a move that sparked yet another round of denunciations from the usual suspects. Even some of the president's critics who have called for an end to the violence seem motivated less by the belief that property destruction and assaults on police are wrong, and more by concerns that such unrest could bolster support for immigration enforcement or damage Democrats politically. Gov. Gavin Newsom warned Angelinos not to "fall into the trap that extremists are hoping for." The Cato Institute's Alex Nowrasteh, an open-borders advocate, lamented that "[s]upport for nativism depends on chaos," and argued that "[s]upport for mass deportations would wither without rioting." But who are the extremists in this situation? Surely it's the angry group of rioters setting cars ablaze and hurling rocks at passing police vehicles from highway overpasses. Appalling as the Left's response to the riots has been, it is not surprising. The unrest only reinforces a connection many Americans have already made between progressive causes and the violence too often carried out in their name. The chaos in L.A. follows the deadly and destructive riots that swept cities across the nation in 2020, as well as the more recent demonstrations sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Since that date, pro-Palestinian activists have harassed Jewish students on college and university campuses; shut down streets and transit hubs; set the Jewish governor of Pennsylvania's house on fire; shot and killed two Israeli embassy employees outside the Jewish Museum in D.C.; and hit elderly Jews peacefully marching in support of Israel with Molotov cocktails in Colorado. Democrats face a real political problem. It's not hard to see how this most recent episode of "fiery, but mostly peaceful" protests could boost support for the president's immigration enforcement campaign— especially given that many of those wreaking havoc in L.A. are waving the Mexican flag or burning the flag of the country in which they demand illegal immigrants be allowed to stay. Consider the contrast: on one side, an administration following through on the president's promise to strengthen immigration enforcement, in part to make cities safer; on the other, rioters waving foreign flags and setting streets ablaze. It's hard to imagine a more unsympathetic image for the president's critics. If the Left wants to shed its reputation for siding with arsonists who block city streets, seize campus quads, and attack police, its leaders could start by condemning the lawlessness in Los Angeles and pledging to work with the president to restore order. Their refusal to do so lies at the heart of Donald Trump's political strength—and remains a vivid sign of a lesson still unlearned.