Friday, January 9, 2026

L.A. County Supervisors Face Pivotal Votes on Fires, Immigration and Homelessness

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors confronts an exceptionally consequential agenda on Tuesday, January 13, dominated by wildfire recovery, immigration policy, and chronic homelessness crises.

The meeting will consider three transformative measures that could reshape County governance for years.

ICE-Free Zones Ordinance: The most politically divisive item would prohibit federal immigration enforcement from using County property as staging areas, processing locations, or operations bases. Supervisor Horvath’s motion requires County Counsel to draft an ordinance within 30 days mandating signage on all County property and establishing permit requirements for civil law enforcement operations. The measure could trigger federal litigation and potential loss of more than $1 billion in annual federal funding while setting a national precedent for local resistance to immigration enforcement.

$40 Million Wildfire Parks Recovery: An emergency measure authorizes $40 million in state Proposition 4 grants for parks devastated by the Eaton, Palisades, Hurst, and Kenneth Fires, including Charles White Park ($5.5 million), Hughes Fire Recovery at Castaic Lake ($5 million), and Eaton Canyon Natural Area ($16.2 million). The item authorizes a sole-source, five-year contract with Outward Bound Adventures for up to $5 million annually ($25 million total) for recovery work in Altadena and Pasadena fire zones, bypassing normal competitive bidding requirements.

12 Simultaneous Emergencies: The Board will continue 12 local emergencies—including a 36-year-old fruit fly infestation, homelessness crisis, multiple wildfires, and the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall crisis. These declarations maintain extraordinary executive powers authorizing sole-source contracts and exemptions from environmental review, raising questions about normalized emergency governance.

The 48-page agenda with 58-plus items tests meaningful oversight capacity while the County operates substantially outside normal procurement and review processes.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple Street, Los Angeles. Phone: (213) 974-1411. Visit http://bos.lacounty.gov.