Saludos,
While summer is often a unique time for Los Angeles, the summer of 2025 is already infamous and continues the theme of extraordinary challenges that has characterized this year. Starting with January’s ravenous wildfires, followed by the most challenging City budget in more than a decade, resulting in a fiscal emergency, continuing with a judge’s existential threat to our City resulting in a 2 week trial in May, and landing in the summer of melting ICE and seeking justice.
Since June 6th, our city and our region have been ground zero for the federal government’s largely performative display of might that has had real and devastating consequences for us all. Under the guise of enforcing federal immigration law, individuals in plain clothes or camouflage gear, with rifles strapped across their chest, handguns and ammunition at their waist, and their faces covered, have descended en masse to grab and detain ordinary people going about their daily lives in the streets, parks, schoolyards, courthouses, homes, shops, medical clinics, agricultural fields, offices, and workplaces of residents of the second largest city in the nation.
Billed as the federal government’s effort to carry out “the single largest mass deportation program in history”, we have borne unwilling witness to confrontations that I never thought possible in our country. Angelenos have faced unconstitutional searches and seizures in the form of roundups, raids, mass detentions and other aggressive confrontations, have had their liberty taken away and their rights trampled, and have been held in detention without access to their lawyers or their families by armed and masked groups, often without visible credentials or identification. After the federal activity in MacArthur Park on July 7th, I was asked to contribute a guest article to the Daily Journal, which I called, “ Crossing the Rubicon,” about how we’re standing up to unconstitutional overreach by the federal government.
All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to constitutional protections, including due process and equal protection. Read on to learn how we’re challenging the Trump Administration on their illegal immigration enforcement activities.
We’re also continuing to disrupt the sex trafficking of minors on the Figueroa corridor in South LA and promulgating policies to ensure that sex workers are diverted and not criminalized while prosecuting johns and pimps, fighting wildfire-related price gouging across the region including with our most recent lawsuit against home rental behemoth Airbnb, protecting City workers by actively recruiting those who may be facing layoffs to open positions in my office, and implementing best practices in every part of my office with a view to compliance, integrity and accountability.
On behalf of the nearly 1,000 legal professionals within the City Attorney’s Office - including more than 500 attorneys - it is a privilege to serve you every day.
Sincerely, |
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Hydee Feldstein Soto
Los Angeles City Attorney
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Challenging the Trump Administration on Immigration
On July 8, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto - joined by Mayor Karen Bass - announced that her office and co-counsel Munger Tolles & Olsen filed a motion to intervene in a federal lawsuit, Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem, which asks the court to prevent the federal government, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection from:
- Engaging in unconstitutional and unlawful stops, round ups and raids without reasonable suspicion or probable cause and based upon perceived ethnicity,
- Utilizing disproportionate force in carrying out immigration enforcement activities, and
- Confining individuals at federal buildings without access to their attorneys.
The County of LA, and the cities of Pasadena, Santa Monica, Culver City, Pico Rivera, Montebello, Monterey Park, and West Hollywood also joined this motion, which the American Civil Liberties Union, Public Counsel and other groups filed the week prior.
Days later, the court granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking federal agents from illegally conducting raids until the court considers a preliminary injunction. The TRO specifically bars racial profiling and factors such as language spoken, accent, occupation and location as the basis for being stopped.
The federal government appealed but on August 1, the Ninth Circuit Court maintained the TRO to stop illegal immigration enforcement activity.
"By filing suit to halt these unconstitutional raids, local governments across Southern California and our individual and organizational co-plaintiffs received confirmation of what we knew when these illegal raids started in June: that the immigration enforcement tactics of the current administration violate the U.S. Constitution. The Ninth Circuit’s decision is a victory for our communities, reaffirming that every person in the United States, regardless of immigration status, is entitled to constitutional protections, including protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, due process, and equal protection. We will always stand up for the rule of law and protect our immigrant communities,” said Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles City Attorney. |
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On August 8, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that 13 additional cities across four counties had joined this coOn August 8, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that 13 additional cities across four counties had joined this coalition to intervene in the federal lawsuit. The new group of cities included: Long Beach, Pomona, South Gate, Lynwood, Huntington Park, Paramount, Bell Gardens, Beverly Hills, Anaheim, Santa Ana, City of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Oxnard.
Click here to watch this press conference.
This announcement was also covered by:
As part of this effort to stop executive overreach, on July 14, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that the City had joined two lawsuits to protect federal funds.
In San Francisco v. Trump, the lead plaintiffs petitioned the court for permission to add Los Angeles and a coalition of other cities and counties as new plaintiffs to a pending lawsuit seeking to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing Executive Orders that punish and withhold federal funding to sanctuary cities.
“This administration is unlawfully threatening to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars that fund essential public safety and services. The attempt to cudgel our city by imposing unlawful conditions on essential allocations and grants violates the Constitution and impermissibly interferes with our core functions, sovereignty and local control. Any loss in funding would have a devastating impact on the City’s budget and overall finances,” said Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles City Attorney.
And, in King County v. Turner, the City joined a coalition of local governments to challenge unlawful conditions tied to funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”).
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Disrupting Trafficking on the Figueroa Corridor and Protecting Minors
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that her office secured guilty verdicts against Christopher Rodriguez, a former preschool teacher at the Krieger Center of UCLA’s Early Care and Education department. Rodriguez, 51, was found guilty on 9 counts involving child sexual abuse, including sexual battery with restraint, penetration with a foreign object, and child abuse.
A continuation of broader efforts to disrupt the human trafficking of minors on the Figueroa corridor in South Los Angeles and beyond, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that her office has secured a conviction against Manuel Nunez, 36, for soliciting a minor to engage in prostitution. Nunez was sentenced to 60 days in county jail, 12 months summary probation and ordered to enroll in and complete a one-year sex offender program approved by the LA County Probation Department.
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said, “Since day one in office, I have prioritized protecting minors from the human trafficking and sexual exploitation that has plagued the Figueroa corridor for far too long. This conviction sends a strong message that we are enforcing the law and ensuring that our children cannot be bought and sold. I look forward to continuing my partnership with Mayor Bass, Council President Harris-Dawson, the LAPD, DA Hochman and other agencies in this critical work.”
Previously, Feldstein Soto secured a guilty verdict against a 49 year-old male defendant charged with three violations of the California Penal Code, including solicitation of prostitution from a minor.
The Figueroa corridor is a hotbed for prostitution and an epicenter for human trafficking, including of minors. Feldstein Soto has been leading a multi-agency initiative with local and federal partners and service providers aimed at disrupting it.
To date, the results of this coordinated, ongoing effort include:
- Over 200 children rescued, the youngest of whom was 12 years old,
- 22 adults assisted to leave sex work,
- More than 2,000 “Dear John” letters sent,
- More than 190 perpetrators and pimps have been arrested and cited.
As an extension of this work, Feldstein Soto has sponsored SB 680, which was authored and introduced by Senator Susan Rubio. This bill closes a glaring loophole in California’s sex offender registry law – one that currently allows adults who engage in unlawful vaginal intercourse with minor girls to avoid mandatory registration in many cases.
California consistently ranks number one in the number of human trafficking cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and, according to the FBI, Los Angeles ranks near the top of the nation’s high intensity child prostitution areas. Thus, Feldstein Soto believes we must do more to protect vulnerable youth and reduce the demand for the sex trafficking of minors, which is what SB 680 will do, providing another avenue for us to strengthen our laws, protect our children, and hold predators accountable. |
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Lawsuit Against Airbnb Alleging Wildfire Price Gouging
Last month, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that her office has filed a civil enforcement action against Airbnb alleging that, in the wake of the January wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, the platform increased rental prices of at least two thousand, and possibly over three thousand, properties within the City of LA in violation of California Penal Code section 396, the Anti-Gouging Law.
Feldstein Soto joined NBC News’ Gadi Schwartz on “ Stay Tuned Now” to discuss it.
The protections of this law came into effect on January 7, 2025, when Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles. The law prohibits the prices of essential goods and services - including rental housing - from being increased by more than 10% after an emergency is declared.
In addition, the suit alleges that Airbnb misleadingly represents to prospective renters that Airbnb has “verified” the accuracy of the identities of hosts and locations of properties on the site. In reality, Airbnb’s “verified hosts” include “hosts” with non-existent or false identities, and “verified” property addresses include addresses that are incorrect or non-existent.
Feldstein Soto’s lawsuit, filed for violations of the CA Unfair Competition Law, seeks a permanent injunction barring Airbnb from charging illegal rents during the current state of emergency and from misrepresenting host identities or property locations, and requests restitution to consumers who were charged illegal rents. The suit also seeks civil penalties of up to $2,500 for each violation to deter price-gouging and unfair, unlawful and/or fraudulent representations to consumers.
“It’s unconscionable that Airbnb permitted prices to be jacked up on thousands of rental properties at a time when so many people lost so much and needed a place to sleep. Although Airbnb subsequently took steps to curtail price gouging, evidence indicates that illegal gouging on the site continues and may be ongoing. This lawsuit sends a clear message that we will not allow people, particularly at their most vulnerable moments, to be exploited without consequences,” said Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles City Attorney.
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Targeting a Violent Nightclub in Downtown and Party Houses Around the City
The site of violence for many years, including a fatal shooting, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto filed a civil enforcement action to shut down the alleged illegal, after-hours nightclub operating at 217 East Washington Boulevard. According to the complaint, the nightclub presents an ongoing threat to community safety with illegal firearms and other illegal land uses. Despite repeated warnings and enforcement actions, the owners and operators have failed to prevent unlawful conditions that have negatively impacted neighborhood quality of life and have drained resources from LAPD. Feldstein Soto’s lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction to immediately cease all illegal operations at the property, along with penalties for the persistent violations.
“The Defendants have repeatedly and brazenly violated laws and jeopardized the well-being of our community. Ensuring public safety of our residents is a top priority and, with this suit, we are holding the property owners accountable and putting a stop to illegal activities that have continually disrupted this neighborhood” said Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles City Attorney.
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has also continued its crackdown on party houses, working to hold accountable those who violate the City’s party house and short-term rental laws.
Last summer, Feldstein Soto’s Community Law Corps (“CLC”) unit worked with LAPD to shut down a problematic party house on White Oak Avenue in Encino that hosted parties with hundreds of guests who paid to enter. In July 2024, with guidance from CLC, LAPD declared this property a “loud/unruly gathering” location pursuant to the LA Municipal Code. Two citations were then issued to the property owner, and the unlawful parties stopped.
Working with our office, and following up on community complaints, LAPD shut down a party at the property in late July after parties resumed at the property earlier this summer.
The City Attorney’s Office also recently settled with three of the defendants in its 2023 lawsuit against The Nightfall Group.
The Nightfall Group is a high-end hosting platform that leases properties - advertised as villas - from their homeowners as long-term rentals and then subleases them as short-term rentals, which are often used as party houses. This is a violation of the City’s Short-Term Rental Ordinance.
The Nightfall Group has been a considerable driver of the city’s party house problem, with the LAPD responding to parties at their properties on many occasions.
Three defendants have settled and they are now prohibited from engaging in short-term rental activity at any residential property in the city in a manner that does not comply with the City’s Home-Sharing Ordinance. Litigation with the other Defendants is pending.
These lawsuits were managed by attorneys within the City Attorney’s Public Rights Branch.
“We will not tolerate party houses that disrupt our neighborhoods and threaten public safety,” said Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles City Attorney. |
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Defense Verdict in LAPD Employment Case
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto’s office obtained a defense verdict in the matter of Mario Cardona vs. City of Los Angeles, thereby protecting taxpayers. Cardona, a sergeant with LAPD’s 77th Division, sued the LAPD for race discrimination and unlawful retaliation after the LAPD reassigned him from the 77th Area Gang Enforcement Detail to the 77th Area Patrol and reported Cardona to the Risk Management Executive Committee (RMEC) for monitoring. Prior to trial, Cardona demanded more than $6.2 million from the City to settle his case and more than $6 million at trial based upon alleged economic damages, past and present. After roughly one day of deliberation, the jury found no adverse employment action occurred when LAPD reassigned him, finding in the City’s favor.
“This verdict reaffirms our commitment to protecting the City from employment lawsuits filed to obtain financial advantage over and above salaries, benefits, and pension at the expense of the City. This result is welcome in light of the City’s decision to take the case to trial rather than allow taxpayers to fund exorbitant settlement demands,” said Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto. |
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Communities Across Los Angeles
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National Night Out
Taking place the first Tuesday of each August, for 41 years, National Night Out has brought together neighbors, neighborhoods and the men and women of LAPD, helping to build a stronger sense of community, security and trust. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, along with members of her team, enjoyed attending 12 community events throughout the city for “NNO.”
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Lotus Festival
Each year, this beloved community event celebrates the tapestry of Asian and Pacific Islander cultures. This year, the 44th annual, this special event highlighted the people of South Korea who have and continue to leave an indelible mark on our city.
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Clare E. Women’s Recovery Center
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto was delighted to join the Midnight Mission for the ribbon-cutting of their new Clare E. Women’s Recovery Center. The first of its kind on Skid Row, this new program represents hope, joy and light for the women who will be rebuilding their lives within it. Watch the video here.
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Food From The Bar
As part of her ongoing efforts to help our neighbors in need, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and members of her team participated in the LA Regional Food Bank’s annual “ Food From the Bar” volunteer program. This is a friendly competition among local legal organizations to raise funds that will help feed children in LA County. |
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LA County Rapid Diversion Program
The Office of LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto is a partner in the LA County Rapid Diversion Program, a pretrial mental health diversion program that serves as an alternative to prosecution for eligible individuals. Through this work, vulnerable residents are connected with treatment and community support, while recidivism - the act of continuing to commit crimes - is reduced.
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto with, l-r: Ricardo García, LA County Public Defender; Judge Songhai Armstead (Ret.), of the LA County Justice, Care and Opportunities Dept.; Judge Wendy Segall; District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Erika Anzoátegui, LA County Alternate Public Defender.
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Prom Closet
The Office of LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto partnered with LAPD Olympic Community Police Station for the annual Prom Closet. This special event provides donated formal wear, accessories and shoes so that more than 215 high school boys and girls can attend their proms.
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Summer Interns
The LA City Attorney’s Office has just wrapped up its Summer Internship Program, having welcomed over 70 exceptional students to join us. This year's group included high school and undergraduate students, law clerks and post bar fellows and City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto is greatly appreciative of their hard work, professionalism and commitment during their time with the office.
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Senior Services Events
The LA City Attorney’s Office is partnering with Council offices, LAPD, Department of Aging, the City Clerk and other agencies for our “Senior Services” community meetings throughout Los Angeles. Together, we’re helping LA’s seniors protect themselves from scams, become safer pedestrians and access local resources. The next Senior Services Day is on September 18, 2025 with Council District 9. Email matthew.frazier@lacity.org for more information.
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Hydee Feldstein Soto, L.A. City Attorney Office of the L.A. City Attorney, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Unsubscribe |
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