night view of los angeles city hall illuminated

Please also be advised that L.A. City Attorney Feldstein-Soto is being sued for legal and ethical violations

J.T.Leave a comment

Michelle McGinnis is the former head of the L.A. City Attorney’s criminal branch in Los Angeles. She was appointed for the position in 2023 by then-incoming L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto but first began working with the city attorney’s office more than thirty years earlier, starting as a Paralegal. In 2025, however, she was abruptly terminated from her duties by Feldstein Soto for what McGinnis’ lawsuit describes as “personal and political gains.”

This isn’t just your average wrongful termination claim, though. McGinnis’ lawsuit contends that Feldstein Soto possibly broke the law by holding at least one personal meeting as soon as she got into office with disgraced Council Member Kevin De León, who at the time was the defendant in a case brought against him by activist Jason Reedy over a scuffle the two engaged in at the end of 2022 (among other things).

The potential oversight was not an isolated incident, however, as the following year Feldstein Soto directed McGinnis to pursue charges against Ricci Sergienko, a protestor who was within his right to protest the home of an Israeli lobbyist at the outset of Israel’s genocide in Gaza in late 2023.

Last but certainly not least, the lawsuit further alleges that Feldstein Soto consumes alcohol on the job, calls staff outside of work hours as early as 4:00 AM, and even demands City Attorney prosecutors to avoid criminal cases against corporate defendants who can be potential donors for her wider political ambitions. Read the full docket for yourself below, and remember that Feldstein Soto is up for reelection, or ouster, as soon as this June 2nd, 2026.

la-city-attorney-lawsuit-declaration-by-michelle-mcginnis-in-sept-2025Download

J.T.

The War on Housing Is Next. Here’s how to fight back!

J.T.Leave a comment

Did you know that in 2019, during Trump’s first term, the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) under his administration proposed the elimination of rental assistance to any families of mixed immigration status? This was despite the fact that HUD’s allocation of funds had been prorated–or divided to support only eligible renters in any given household–since 1995.

The Proposed Rule was defeated by more than 30,000 Public Comments in opposition, but now it’s rearing it’s ugly head again, even as Trump 2.0 threatens to sign no more bills until the so-called “SAVE” and “MEGA” Acts are passed. Stateline also notes that “HUD’s own analyses from previous mixed-status rule discussions estimated there are about 25,000 mixed-status households living in HUD-assisted housing, fewer than 1% of all households receiving federal rental aid.” In other words, it’s only the latest completely baseless attack on immigrants using federal lawlessness.

The good news, however, is that people across the nation are fighting back, including right here in Los Angeles. Check out the Press Release by the National Housing Law Project below to learn more about the latest Proposed Rule, and even the Proposed Rule as laid out by HUD’s Secretary Scott Turner. When you’re ready to submit your Public Comment in opposition, please do so HERE.

NHLP_FEB_19Download
2026-03405Download


J.T.

beachside during daytime

From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide

J.T.Leave a comment

“Booking Holdings Inc. and Airbnb, Inc. list properties and hotel rooms in Israeli colonies. Booking.com has more than doubled its listings in the West Bank–from 26 in 2018 to 70 by May 2023–and tripled its East Jerusalem listings to 39 in the year post-October 2023. Airbnb has also amplified its colonial profiteering, growing from 13 listings in 2016 to 350 in 2025, collecting up to 23 per cent commission. These listings are linked with restricting Palestinian access to land and endangering nearby villages. In Tekoa, Airbnb enables settler promotion of a ‘warm and loving community’, whitewashing settler violence against the neighbouring Palestinian village of Tuqu’.”

g2509440Download


J.T.

What a month for Quien Es Tu Vecindario!

J.T.Leave a comment

We hope this message finds you well! If we connected recently through one of our fundraising events, we’re doubly grateful to have you subbed to this newsletter! This February has been huge for us, most of all because partnership with our larger community garnered at least $1,400 for our ongoing Vendor Buyout campaign.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Dance and DJ collective Tu Casa LA, as well as filmmaker, photographer, performer, and writer Anya Jiménez, for these successful collaborations, who each found Quien Es Tu Vecindario within just the past year; rest assured, at our next big event, we’ll be honoring each of them with our very own special recognition for their leadership in the name of our communities.

The additional funds have allowed us to connect with even more vendors in our neighborhoods, expanding our network at this critical time for immigrants in Los Angeles. But we’re just getting started, as the team is looking to hit the streets again this March to provide more resources to those especially in need given the ongoing attacks against our people. If you’re interested in getting involved in either fundraising or canvassing with us, simply reach out and we’ll be happy to coordinate for it!

Speaking of the streets and our people, for this edition of the newsletter we’d like to shout out our OG local Echo Park frutero, Gilberto’s Fruits. We spotted his cart recently at the Silver Lake reservoir and were happy to check in. As it happens, he and his family’s GoFundMe is almost at its goal. In case you or someone else you know can help it along, please don’t hesitate to do just so!

—
¡Esperamos que este mensaje te encuentra bien! Si nos conectamos recientemente a través de uno de nuestros eventos de recaudación de fondos, ¡estamos doblemente agradecidos de que te hayas suscrito a este boletín! Este febrero ha sido un mes crucial para nosotros, sobre todo porque la colaboración con nuestra comunidad en general recaudó al menos $1,400 para nuestra campaña de Compra de Vendedores.

Estamos profundamente agradecidos con el colectivo de danza y DJ Tu Casa LA, así como con la cineasta, fotógrafa, artista y escritora Anya Jiménez, por estas exitosas colaboraciones, quienes fundaron “Quién Es Tu Vecindario” tan solo el año pasado. Ten la seguridad de que en nuestro próximo gran evento, honraremos a cada uno de ellos con un reconocimiento especial por su liderazgo apoyando nuestras comunidades.

Los fondos adicionales nos han permitido conectar con aún más vendedores en nuestros vecindarios, ampliando nuestra red en este momento crítico para los inmigrantes en Los Ángeles. Y esto es solo el comienzo, ya que el equipo busca salir a las calles nuevamente este marzo para brindar mas recursos a quienes más lo necesitan, dados los continuos ataques contra nuestra gente. Si está interesado en participar en la recaudación de fondos o en la campaña con nosotros, simplemente contáctanos y estaremos encantados de coordinarlo!

Hablando de las calles y de nuestra gente, en esta edición del boletín queremos destacar a nuestro “OG” frutero local de Echo Park, Gilberto’s Fruits. Vimos su carrito hace poco en el embalse de Silver Lake y nos alegró mucho verlo. Casualmente, su recaudación de fondos en GoFundMe y su familia está a punto de alcanzar su objetivo. Si tú o alguien que conoces puede ayudar, ¡no dudes en apoyar!

J.T.