By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
Bass: Federal militarization in cities must stop
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in the wake of yet another Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent’s shooting death of an American citizen in Minneapolis, strongly reiterated on Saturday that this violence has to stop and that President Trump must remove these armed, federal forces from Minneapolis and other American cities.
“I have joined mayors from across the country in a federal court action to stop the Trump Administration’s unconstitutional and unlawful deployment of federal agents in the Twin Cities. Our amicus brief supports Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul’s lawsuit to immediately end this militarized presence in their communities,” said Bass.
“We must not allow fear and force to define our cities, or for the federal government to turn them into war zones. Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s militarized crackdown that has claimed innocent lives and terrorized countless families, is unacceptable.
“Los Angeles stands firmly with Minneapolis and St. Paul and with every city defending our citizens’ civil rights and civil liberties. We will oppose every attempt to silence our communities, terrorize our neighborhoods, and undermine the Constitution’s protections. We will not allow it. We will resist it.”
Hochman charges nonprofit CEO with defrauding homeless agency
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman on Friday charged the Chief Executive Officer of the nonprofit Abundant Blessings with defrauding the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) of more than $5 million, approximately $2 million of which illegally went toward his own properties or was accounted for through fraudulent invoices between 2022 and 2024.
Alexander Soofer, 33, is charged with 11 felony counts of conflict of interest, two felony counts of offering false evidence and five felony counts of forgery in connection with millions of dollars in contracts between LAHSA and Abundant Blessings.
The 11 conflict-of-interest charges stem from contracts between Abundant Blessings and LAHSA that expressly stated that Soofer could not own the properties used to house homeless residents or subcontract with himself or family members with a financial interest in the properties or in companies providing services.
The alleged stolen LAHSA funds were earmarked for Youth Homelessness, Bridge Housing, Winter Shelter, Home Safe, Inside Safe and other programs. Soofer also allegedly failed to provide shelter and nutritious meals per his contractual obligations.
“Self-dealing government funds intended for food and housing for homeless residents of LA County, including families and children, is despicable,” said Hochman. “The defendant called his company “Abundant Blessings,” but the only abundant blessings he gave were to himself. My office will ensure anyone who thinks they can defraud the government will be brought to justice.”
If convicted, Soofer faces 17 years and 6 months in custody, including state prison and county jail.
“The defendant allegedly betrayed the public trust, and I assure Mr. Soofer that, unlike the homeless he allegedly stole from, he will have shelter and get three nutritious meals a day in prison,” said Hochman.
Raman floats measure to unlock housing production in LA
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman (D-parts of Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Hollywood Hills, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City, Van Nuys, Reseda) on Friday introduced a motion to reform Measure ULA and ensure that it continues to meet its stated goal: protecting tenants and building affordable housing.
Voters first approved Measure ULA in November 2022 and established the ULA Tax to fund affordable housing projects and provide resources to tenants facing eviction and at risk of homelessness.
Raman said this integral source of funding is facing real threats, including proposed ballot measures sponsored by business groups and state legislative action that could significantly undermine revenues in the measure or eliminate the tax entirely.
Raman’s legislation seeks to ensure that Angelenos are at the forefront of reforming Measure ULA locally to keep repressive statewide initiatives on all transfer and/or special taxes off the ballot, retain as much local revenue for critical services as possible, support Palisades residents impacted by recent wildfires, and spur housing production through targeted exemptions and technical corrections.
“If Measure ULA is going to remain a durable source of funding for affordable housing and homelessness prevention, we need housing projects that actually get built and house families,” said Raman. “A policy that unintentionally stalls housing production ultimately undermines the very goals voters asked us to achieve. This motion keeps Measure ULA true to its original intent while making targeted, responsible adjustments so it can continue to protect tenants, support wildfire recovery, spur housing production, and safeguard a critical funding source for the future.”
Raman’s motion directs the City Attorney to prepare and present ballot measure language for the June 2 ballot, to amend the Measure ULA ordinance.
The proposed changes include a 15-year exemption for newly constructed multifamily, commercial, and mixed-use projects, a temporary exemption for properties in fire-impacted areas, and technical amendments to provide clarity and flexibility for nonprofit developers to preserve affordable housing, prevent foreclosure, and keep projects financially viable when conditions change.
Pérez praises Monterey Park council vote for data center moratorium
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Claremont, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, San Antonio Heights) last week lauded the Monterey Park City Council vote to pass a moratorium on data centers and pursue an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Saturn Street Data Center.
Data centers house critical IT infrastructure—including servers, storage systems, and networking equipment—to store, process, and manage vast amounts of data. Local municipalities are increasingly concerned about data centers straining local infrastructure, particularly due to their immense water and electricity consumption, noise pollution, and questionable economic benefits.
“The Monterey Park City Council has taken bold action by passing a moratorium on data centers and pursuing an EIR for the proposed Saturn Street Data Center. We know that urgent conversations about the impacts of data centers are taking place in communities all over the nation. From New Mexico to Northern Virginia, data centers have drawn sharp criticism for their risk to the environment, public health, and impact on utility costs,” said Pérez.
“In Monterey Park, concerned residents want answers to determine how a data center of this size might strain the power grid, including its impact on utility rates, water usage, and air quality contamination. I’m grateful that Monterey Park residents came to me and shared their concerns with my office. I was honored to amplify these concerns to the Monterey Park City Council on December 3, 2025.
“I appreciate the Monterey Park City Council’s unanimous vote to approve the moratorium and EIR on Wednesday. It represents a positive step and a win for the community who raised their voices to a responsive city council,” the state lawmaker concluded.
