LA 2028 Olympics: fears of mass displacement and homeless sweeps as Trump threat looms

"In the lead-up to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the city deployed 30 police officers on horseback to rid downtown of unhoused people and, in the words of a captain, sanitize the area. Some people were arrested and transported to detox centers. Others were forced from public view while their possessions were trashed. Now, as the city prepares to host the games once more in 2028,"

"Karen Bass, Los Angeles's Democratic mayor, has vowed not to bus unhoused people out of the city and repeat the tactics of 1984, telling the Los Angeles Times her strategy will always be housing people first. But the scale of the problem in LA is larger than it was four decades ago, and the Trump administration's forceful stance on homelessness could increase pressures on Bass and the unhoused population."

"LA county is home to an estimated 72,000 unhoused people, including 24,900 people in shelters and 47,400 people living outside in tents, makeshift structures and vehicles. In the last two years, Bass and county leaders have reported some progress in moving people indoors, which they attributed to their strategy of targeting people in encampments with shelter options and resources. But the dramatic shortage of affordable housing in the region"

In 1984 Los Angeles used mounted police to clear downtown of unhoused people, arresting some, sending others to detox, and trashing possessions. As the city prepares for the 2028 Olympics, civil rights advocates fear similar removals could recur and worsen the humanitarian crisis. Mayor Karen Bass has pledged housing-first policies and vowed not to bus people out, while officials report some progress moving people indoors through targeted outreach and shelter options. LA County now has an estimated 72,000 unhoused people, and a severe affordable-housing shortage makes rehousing tens of thousands within three years unlikely. Federal pressure, including an executive order urging encampment clearances and a Supreme Court ruling allowing fines or jail when no shelter is available, increases the risk of aggressive clearances.

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