L.A. County Park Attendance Fails to Recover After 2025 ICE Raids

A year after federal immigration raids swept through Los Angeles, the silence in several of the county’s most popular recreation areas shows the lasting impact on local communities.

New data shows that attendance at six major parks has failed to bounce back, leaving behind a clear trail of economic and social disruption that has persisted through two full summers.

Researchers from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute and the UC Berkeley Latinx Research Center released a report on Thursday detailing the decline.

By examining vehicle entry data at six fee-charging parks—Santa Fe Dam, Castaic Lake, Whittier Narrows, Kenneth Hahn, Frank G. Bonelli, and Peter F. Schabarum—the team identified a measurable retreat from public spaces that were once bustling hubs for family gatherings and weekend recreation.

The numbers provide a cold look at the human stakes. Across the past two summers, these parks saw an estimated 150,000 fewer visitors compared to 2024 levels. The study calculated this based on approximately 21,000 fewer vehicle entries in 2025 and 17,000 fewer in 2026. For a regional park system, this changes how Angelenos interact with their own backyard.

Lost Entry Fees Reflect Declining Park Visitors

The financial consequences are as tangible as the empty picnic tables. The researchers estimated that the decline in visitors resulted in roughly $380,000 in lost entry fees. While some parks, such as Schabarum and Kenneth Hahn, saw modest gains, the trend shows a sustained avoidance of public areas among communities that feel increasingly vulnerable.

The impact is most visible in neighborhoods with large Latino populations. The Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale alone recorded 8,500 fewer vehicle entries in 2025, while the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area saw a drop of 7,000. These are not merely statistics; they represent a loss of access to essential green space for families facing the rising cost of living in Southern California.

How the 2025 immigration enforcement raids shaped LA County a year later — CBS LA

Nicholas Vargas, a professor at UC Berkeley and one of the report’s authors, stated in a prepared statement that the findings show how these effects extend to families spending a day in nature, adding that Angelenos are already dealing with economic pressures from rising costs and that losing safe access to parks where they can relax, experience community, and escape those stresses makes things harder.

The Limits of Sensitive Locations

This pattern of avoidance follows a period of intense federal activity in 2025, when immigration raids in the Los Angeles area led to high-profile confrontations between federal agents and community protesters. While L.A. County considers most county property, including parks, as sensitive locations, this designation does not prevent immigration agents from entering public areas.

The gap between the county’s stated policy and the reality on the ground has created a persistent climate of uncertainty. Before the 2025 surge, these parks were consistent fixtures of community life, hosting birthday parties and athletic events.

Now, the data suggests that for many families, the risk—perceived or real—of encountering federal agents outweighs the desire for a day in the park.

As local elected leaders continue to search for ways to provide protection, the parks remain under-utilized.

The question of whether these spaces will ever return to their pre-2025 levels of activity remains open, as the lasting psychological and social effects of the raids continue to shape the daily routines of residents across the county.