Westlake is among the LA neighborhoods considered most vulnerable to federal immigration enforcement activity, according to a new report commissioned by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
The neighborhood is home to a large immigrant population and is predominantly made up of renters. The report found that nearly four in 10 residents were born in Latin America, more than half are Spanish speakers, and non-citizens make up nearly a quarter of the local workforce.
The report, by the county’s Department of Economic Opportunity and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, looks at where Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity has been concentrated and which communities face the greatest economic risk.
ZIP code 90057, which covers much of Westlake, ranks among the 10 most vulnerable in the county. According to the analysis, those neighborhoods tend to have high shares of foreign-born residents who are not U.S. citizens, along with large numbers of renter households, Spanish-speaking households and noncitizen workers.
The report states there were seven immigration enforcement incidents in Westlake as of Aug. 7, 2025. It does not list how many people were detained in the neighborhood. The Department of Homeland Security has detained more than 10,000 people in the LA area since June, according to figures released in December.
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who represents Westlake, told The LA Local thatsaid the neighborhood’s density and immigrant population make it a visible target.
“Westlake is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods west of the Mississippi. Federal immigration enforcement concentrates here not only because of that density, but because this immigrant-rich community represents diversity, resilience and the American Dream — values that stand in direct contrast to the Trump administration’s hateful agenda,” she said in a statement to Tthe LA Local.
Federal immigration enforcement ramped up across the city last summer. In July, tensions escalated when authorities carried out a large-scale sweep through MacArthur Park involving Border Patrol agents on horseback and military personnel.
The report notes that the heavy concentration of renter households in Westlake can leave families especially exposed to income disruptions following detentions or workplace raids.
Hernandez pointed to several local efforts aimed at responding to enforcement activity, including a citywide Know Your Rights campaign across bus shelters and LADOT buses as well as a community defense program and funding for rent relief and food assistance.
Westlake joins Huntington Park, South Gate, Boyle Heights and Maywood among the ZIP codes identified as most at risk.
LAist contributed to this report.
