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Long Beach’s immigration rights organization and rapid response network ÓRALE (Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation & Empowerment) is once again asking the City to increase funding and protections for Long Beach’s immigrant population amidst raids in Los Angeles and surrounding cities.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) performed immigration raids in the fashion district of downtown Los Angeles, and at a Home Depot in the Westlake District Friday morning. At least 40 people were detained by federal agents, including local labor union president David Huerta, who as of Saturday evening has not been released.

Huerta was arrested for obstructing access from federal agents, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli told KTLA5.

Over 1,000 Los Angeles residents responded with protests on Friday, which are still ongoing as of 5 p.m. Saturday. On Saturday morning, ICE agents moved into surrounding cities, including Paramount. As of 5 p.m. on Saturday, Paramount residents are still protesting ICE’s presence in front of the Home Depot on Alondra Boulevard in Paramount.

Mayor Rex Richardson posted his response to the Los Angeles raids on social media on Friday evening, writing, “Today, we saw the news that ICE conducted widespread raids across Los Angeles County at court appointments, workplaces, and on the streets. While no activity has yet been reported in Long Beach, this operation is deeply troubling. Officers arrive without warning while masked and without identification, leaving just as quickly. These raids instill fear in residents, communities, and profoundly damage public trust. We are in contact with local immigrant rights organizations and stand ready to support our immigrant communities.”

View the mayor’s full statement here.

ÓRALE, which works to provide immigrants with legal aid and help families in detention centers, have been asking Long Beach for longterm, structural funds for years. The organization’s Justice Fund, which helps to pay for immigrant’s legal services while they fight deportation, is currently funded through one-time dollars.

The Justice Fund was created in 2019, and expanded last year with a $1.4 million allocation. ÓRALE has been asking the City to invest another $2.2 million for legal support for Long Beach’s immigrant population.

The organization posted a message on its social media channels on Friday night, again urging the City to take action, saying, “Mayor Richardson’s response to today’s ICE raids shows he understands the fear ICE is purposely instilling in immigrant communities. But Long Beach needs more than awareness. We need ACTION … The raids happened in LA today. They could happen in Long Beach tomorrow. Every day that goes by, the need grows more urgent.”

Roughly 1/4 of Long Beach residents, or around 111,000 people, are immigrants, according to the U.S. Census. Around 54,000 of these people are undocumented, according to a March 2025 study from the Vera Institute of Justice. That same study estimates that Long Beach immigrants make up 28% of the city’s labor force, and roughly 7,000 immigrants are entrepreneurs in Long Beach.

The Filipino Migrant Center, which serves Filipino immigrants in Long Beach and is part of the Justice Fund Coalition, also posted a message on social media calling for the City to further invest in the Justice Fund.

Along with the Justice Fund, ÓRALE has also enlisted Long Beach residents who are U.S. citizens for its rapid response network. These people respond to reports of ICE in the city to make sure people are aware of their rights.

ÓRALE also has a hotline 562-245-9575 for residents to report possible ICE activity. Members of ÓRALE and rapid response volunteers then travel to the location reported to confirm or deny the activity.

“The question isn’t whether ICE will come to Long Beach. The question is: Will our city be ready to stand up for immigrant families when they do,” ÓRALE’s statement continued.

View ÓRALE’s full statement here.

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The 22-year-old defendant worked with disabled children at a Long Beach school, according to authorities.

LONG BEACH, CA — A woman who worked with disabled kids at a Long Beach school has been charged with possession of child pornography, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.

Jaylee Brackman, 22, pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of child or youth pornography Thursday in court, according to city prosecutors.

Police were investigating a separate child pornography case when Brackman appeared on their radar, police said earlier this week.

She was arrested on suspicion of possessing and distributing child pornography after officers raided an apartment in Long Beach and found the illicit material on her electronic devices, city prosecutors said.

She has since been released on $20,000 bail but under strict conditions, including no unsupervised contact with minors, a prohibition on possessing any pornography, and a waiver allowing law enforcement to search her electronic communication devices at any time without probable cause or reasonable suspicion, city prosecutors said. Brackman faces up to three years in state prison if convicted of the crimes.

Find out what's happening in Long Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“This defendant held a position of trust with some of the most vulnerable children in our community,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement Thursday. “The exploitation of children in any form is absolutely unacceptable, and my office will aggressively prosecute anyone involved in this kind of predatory behavior."

Brackman was contracted as a service provider with the Long Beach Unified School District to work with disabled children, according to authorities.

In a statement to Patch, an LBUSD spokesperson said there was no known connection between Brackman's arrest and her work in Long Beach.

"The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority," the spokesperson said in the statement. "The district is fully cooperating with law enforcement and has taken proactive steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place."

The LAPD said they believe there may be more victims and ask that anyone with more information contact authorities at 213-280-1501.

The schedule for the annual Moonlight On The Beach at Granada Beach has been released. Here's what to know.

LONG BEACH, CA — The ever-popular Moonlight On The Beach movie nights return to Long Beach starting in June, with six classic films showing on Tuesday nights.

Moonlight On The Beach attracts hundreds of people each year. While the event has experimented with showings in other parts of the city, such as parks, this year it will be held solely at Granada Beach. Here's the full schedule:

The Goonies — The classic story of friendship, mystery and adventure will kick off the Moonlight On The Beach event this year on June 17.

Dirty Dancing — This romantic drama featuring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray is set for June 24.

10 Things I Hate About You — The romantic comedy based on Shakespeares's "The Taming Of The Shrew" will show on July 8.

Find out what's happening in Long Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off — Twist and shout your way to Granada Beach on July 22 to see Ferris Bueller embark on his great adventure with his friends across Chicago.

Grease: The Sing-A-Long — Join the Pink Lady Sandys or the T-Birds in singing along to 1950s rock and roll tunes on Aug. 5.

Lilo & Stitch — The 2002 movie about family, healing and acceptance featuring the only and only experiment 626 will show on Aug. 12.

All movies begin at around sunset (8 to 8:30 p.m.). Anyone looking to attend can bring their own food, however, food trucks will be on site, along with kettle corn vendors.

Although homelessness slightly rose in Long Beach over the past year, data shows more people are accessing shelters than before.

LONG BEACH, CA — Homelessness increased in Long Beach over the past year, with city officials citing the Los Angeles wildfires as a key factor.

During a meeting yesterday to discuss this year's findings, Long Beach city officials said 3,595 people were experiencing homelessness, an increase of 6.5%. Of that 6.5% increase, city officials attributed 5% to the January wildfires in Los Angeles County, while 1.5% was due to other factors.

"What we found was, it was a pretty significant impact, with 167 people identifying that they had been displaced due to the fires and were now experiencing homelessness here in Long Beach," Paul Duncan, Long Beach's homeless services bureau manager, said during the discussion Tuesday. "If you were to take that out, we are seeing that our overall count is about a 1.5% increase."

The wildfires began on Jan. 7 and continued for several weeks, coinciding with Long Beach's homeless count on Jan. 23.

As one of Los Angeles County's augmented weather shelter sites, Long Beach was activated to provide housing for displaced people during the wildfires, city officials said.

Find out what's happening in Long Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

But despite the slight increase, Mayor Rex Richardson said the "key takeaway" from this year's count was that more people experiencing homelessness were using shelter resources and fewer were living outside.

“When we look at the City’s efforts to address homelessness apart from the tragic wildfires, we’ve seen improvements in areas where we have struggled in the past, such as a profound decrease in chronic homelessness,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement Tuesday. “We’re proud of the progress that’s been made, and we remain committed to continuing that work.”

People experiencing chronic homelessness went from 1,705 to 1678, a 3.8% decrease, according to this year's data. There was also a 46.6% increase in people accessing shelter, which city officials attribute to the "effectiveness of targeted interventions."

Although the number of people suffering from chronic homelessness decreased, there was a slight increase in people reporting being unhoused over the last year, city officials said. Data shows that the number increased by 1.7% to 390 people.

Of those 390 people, 56.8% said they lost their housing in Long Beach, 26.7% came from nearby areas in Los Angeles and 6.2% were from Orange County, according to the data.

The most common reason people cited for losing their homes was financial hardship, according to city officials. The number of people reporting financial hardship rose by 4.1%, the data shows.

Others cite childhood trauma, including abuse or neglect, as challenges they're facing, according to city officials. And many face underlying conditions, such as physical disabilities, severe mental illness, substance abuse and traumatic brain injuries, according to this year's findings.

"These conditions can make living in unsupported housing and holding a job much more difficult," according to this year's comprehensive report. Many other issues they face can lead to a cycle of instability, which then makes it more difficult for them to access housing or support, according to city officials.

As of Jan. 23, at least 2,606 out of 3,595 people experiencing homelessness remain unsheltered in Long Beach.

But city officials believe increasing outreach and engagement efforts, moving people into non-congregate shelters and then finding them permanent housing and more support resources to transition people into stable housing are keys to lasting progress to reduce homelessness.

Some of the efforts by the city include a newly refurbished interim housing, Homekey at 1725, which used to be the site of the Best Western motel. This new housing grants the city 99 more interim housing units.

Case management services are also provided at the site to help people staying there access resources that may eventually lead to secure long-term housing, city officials said.

The city is also working on opening two new centers — one focused on young adults ages 18 to 24, who are some of the most vulnerable groups facing homelessness, and another Homekey project at the site of the former Luxury Inn motel.

Long Beach also received $11 million in funding from the state to address the homeless population along the Los Angeles Riverbed, according to city officials. The plan is to use that funding to increase outreach and engagement efforts, open more non-congested shelters with resources that lead to their residents finding permanent housing.

Meet the SoCal mother and grandmother who won a house in the Pechanga Resort Casino Home Sweet Win slot contest this weekend.

Posted Mon, Jun 2, 2025 at 11:50 am PT

TEMECULA, CA — She found a penny, had a dream, and the next thing she knew, she was turning the front door key to open her brand new Temecula house.

Pechanga Resort Casino's Home Sweet Win winner, a Long Beach resident whose name was released as Mayra V. for privacy reasons, accepted her prize Friday, amid fanfare, confetti, and shrieks of joy.

The Home Sweet Win contest has been going on since March, Pechanga tells Patch, and the winners took the stage in front of three doors. Mayra V. turned the key on her stage "front door," and walked right through, signaling she won the brand new, 4-bedroom, 3-bath home in a premier gated Temecula community, courtesy of Pechanga Resort Casino.

Before the night, host Ty Pennington spoke with Patch about the event that was sure to change someone's life.

"Winning is great, but there's something substantial about winning a house," Pennington said. "It's something you can pass down to generations. This is a big win. It all comes down to the luck of the draw. Whoever wins this house is getting not only a lucky home, but they're getting a lucky place to live in Temecula."

Find out what's happening in Temeculafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Twenty finalists were selected to participate in the May 30th Home Sweet Win! finale at the casino. Host Ty Pennington, of Extreme Home Makeover fame, called Mayra’s name as the second-to-last person to enter the final drawing.

"Mayra stayed hopeful she would be the Pechanga grand finale winner to win and move into her new home, something she’s never been able to do before," Pechanga spokesperson Ciara Green told Patch. "Mayra is a single mom with three adult daughters and several grandchildren. She’s always given so much to everyone else. She says this is a dream come true."

She explained that she had found a penny outside her neighborhood church two weeks ago and brought the coin with her to the casino. She plans to move from Long Beach to her new house in Temecula as soon as possible and can’t wait to start making carne asada for her family and create memories in the house she won from Pechanga.

The two runners-up in the Home Sweet Win! promotion at Pechanga Resort Casino each received $25,000.00 in cash.

"Mayra’s family told Pechanga staff she always supported them with everything she has," Green said. "They expressed they are who they are because of Mayra, and to see her finally receive something of this magnitude, a house, for herself feels like an incredible blessing."

Was it fated that she win? Mayra V. thinks so.

She held on to a lucky penny she found last week on the ground outside of her neighborhood church, as she waited for her number to be called, and then clung tightly to that penny until she was able to turn the key and step through into homeownership.

"She said she brought the penny back into the church and prayed," Gren said.

Several weeks before finding the church penny and becoming a finalist in Pechanga’s Home Sweet Win!, Mayra said she had a dream of a big house with white floors and white cabinets. She wrote down the memory of her dream when she awoke, Green told Patch. "She began wondering if her dream carried significance after she qualified as a finalist for the home giveaway."

Host Ty Pennington met Mayra and her family at the new home the following day.

After entering, she guided her family into the kitchen, with its quartz countertops and stainless appliances.

“I’m happiest when I’m with my family. That’s where I get my strength,” she told the TV and casino promotion host, her joy visibly overflowing with her family looking on. Mayra said during the home reveal that she would be moving in as soon as possible.

“It’s a matter of a short time. I’ll be cooking carne asada for my family in here and making so many memories. It’s a dream come true.”

About Mayra V.

Although she had a psychology degree in Mexico, she moved to the United States from Mexico many years ago in search of a better life for her daughters. She recalls all the struggles she and her family worked through in those early years - dropping the kids off at school, then heading to class herself to learn English well. She worked in the Los Angeles area as a custodian for a trade union office. Now, she is a trade union representative for medical professionals caring for the elderly in California.

About Home Sweet Win!

Between March and May 2025, Pechanga Resort Casino gave its Rewards Club members the chance to win and move into the brand new home by Meritage Homes in a new Temecula subdivision.

The home they gave away sits on a sizable corner lot, surrounded by the resort-style amenities within the Prado community.

The detached, single-family home offers a spacious, open concept floor plan, chef-inspired kitchen, energy efficiency features, all Whirlpool appliances, window coverings and ample outdoor space.

The community features a pool, clubhouse, BBQs, picnic shelters and parks.

Alongside the home giveaway, Pechanga also gave $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. The funds supported the organization’s efforts in rebuilding and repairing homes following the devastating wildfires that hit Los Angeles in January.

Pechanga representatives announced that Home Sweet Win! will return in 2026, with Ty Pennington set to host. For more information, visit Pechanga.com.