LA County Considers Eviction Moratorium for Illegal Immigrants Affected by Enforcement Operations

The board advanced a measure to shield renters from displacement due to immigration enforcement as landlords warn of renewed financial strain.

Housing units in Los Angeles on May 16, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Los Angeles County is considering reinstating eviction protections reminiscent of those during COVID-19, aiming to protect illegal immigrants affected by federal immigration sweeps.

The Board of Supervisors directed staff to explore policy options that would prevent landlords from evicting tenants whose ability to pay rent has been disrupted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement operations, including detention and deportation of household members.

The 4–0 vote on Sept. 16, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger absent, signals a potential revival of emergency housing rules that once halted evictions across the region during the height of the pandemic.

Proponents argue that the measure is essential in a county where recent raids have sown widespread fear, prompting workers to skip shifts and families to grapple with sudden income shortfalls. Critics, including rental property groups, contend that it unfairly burdens owners who are already navigating a tough market, risking an exodus of affordable units.

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who cosponsored the motion alongside Hilda Solis, framed the push as an emergency.

“The emergencies that we face ... are real. They are not theoretical, and we need to take action now,” Horvath said during the board meeting.

ICE agents have conducted large-scale operations in Southern California workplaces and neighborhoods since early this year, detaining hundreds and sparking protests. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Sept. 8 cleared the way for ICE to proceed with enforcement, rejecting claims of racial bias in the detentions.

Researchers at the University of California–Merced documented in a report an immediate 3.1 percent dip in statewide employment following the initial sweeps, attributing it partly to absenteeism driven by fear of apprehension.

The proposal would provide eligible households with up to $5,000 in relief and prioritizes tenants and landlords in high-need areas as well as those with household incomes at or below 80 percent of the county’s median income. Priority would also be given to cases in which the grant fully satisfies tenants’ rental debt and to landlords owning no more than four rental units.

The measure is funded with $10 million, which includes $1.2 million from American Rescue Plan Act funds and $8.8 million from Care First Community Investment funds. The initiative also supports eligible tenants and landlords affected by the January wildfires.

Supporters said the board’s action was vital. Xochitl Cobarruvias, president of LCLAA, an organization that represents Latino workers, told supervisors that without interventions, people could end up homeless.

“People are struggling financially because they have lost their primary breadwinners. For families already living paycheck to paycheck, the loss of a single week of earnings could drive them to the brink of eviction,” she said.

Not everyone sees the initiatives as a solution. Rental industry representatives drew parallels to the COVID-19 era, when owners absorbed millions in unpaid rents.

Daniel Yukelson, executive director and CEO of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, highlighted the precarious position the policy puts everyday property investors in.

“When you’re looking at small mom-and-pop landlords, many of them are still struggling from several years ago under the COVID moratoriums,” Yukelson told The Epoch Times on Sept. 18. “Many of them still have uncollected rent that was a huge financial hit.”

He detailed the ripple effects on modest operators, who often juggle just a handful of units.

“When you have a property owner that, for example, owns four units, if one tenant stops paying, they’ve lost 25 percent of their income, and it makes it very challenging to meet their mortgage payments and ongoing maintenance,” Yukelson said.

Rising insurance premiums due to wildfire risks and expanded liability rules have compounded the squeeze, he said, pushing many to sell off holdings or shift investments elsewhere.

Beyond immediate finances, Yukelson warned of subtler fallout. California law prohibits inquiries into immigration status, but he predicted that owners would tighten criteria overall.

“What it will do is it will make property owners really become far more restrictive on who they’re willing to accept,” he said. “People that may be borderline, families that may be borderline and desperately need housing, are not going to get housed, unfortunately.”

According to the association, more than 80 percent of California’s residential rentals fall under independent operators, not corporate giants, making them especially vulnerable to policy shifts.

“They feel they’re being forced out of the business,” Yukelson said. “And so it’s going to become a big problem as we lose these owners that have typically provided affordable housing in their communities.”

The board’s directive will follow up with a report in two weeks with an outline of feasible eviction safeguards.