California Today: Immigrant Communities in Hiding: ‘People Think ICE Is Everywhere’

Today's top stories from California.

January 31, 2025, 9:31 a.m. Eastern time By Orlando Mayorquín The line of cars on Sunset Boulevard heading out of Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7 was backed up for miles. I was one of a few cars driving in. Homeowners and housekeepers were dashing in and out of front doors packing their cars. Some were already packed. Residents were just waiting until they decided it was time to go. One man sounded confident that the billowing smoke in the distance would remain there. I'm from Southern California, but this was my first time in the Palisades. At that point, it was still easy to share his confidence. The flames wouldn't dare to come all the way down here and touch an entire neighborhood, right? But a blotted sun began to set and an ominous gray quickly fell over us. There were no fire engines visible, just police officers blaring their sirens and imploring people to leave. Night fell and walls of choking smoke collapsed onto storefronts and coffee shops, behind them a charging inferno. That's when I decided it was time to go. I parked for a moment in a grocery store parking lot to chart the best way out. Last week, I returned to that parking lot. All that remained of the grocery store was a burned shell. Down the street, President Trump was surveying what was once a neighborhood. It can be easy to look at the rubble the way an outsider might, in a way that's completely disconnected from the real lives that the rubble represents. But I can still see the Palisades the way it was that Tuesday afternoon, a landscape that lives only in memories. I keep thinking of the brick-lined front steps of that house on Rimmer Avenue, and of the woman standing there on her porch gazing into the smoky distance. Those front steps are still there. But nothing else. Today's Top Story Mark Abramson for The New York Times Immigrant Communities in Hiding: 'People Think ICE Is Everywhere' Schools, churches and shops are feeling the chilling effect of the fear of deportation. One minister said fewer congregants were showing up for services. Read more More California News FireAid Concert Draws Huge Stars to Raise Money for Los Angeles Katy Perry belted out "California Gurls," and Joni Mitchell offered a rare performance as Angelenos spoke movingly about loss — and resilience. Powerful Storm System Set to Drench Northern California San Francisco could see as much as six inches of rain over the next week as a moisture-packed storm known as an atmospheric river works its way south from the Pacific Northwest. U.S. Sues to Block Tech Deal in First Antitrust Action of Trump Term The challenge to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's acquisition of Juniper Networks came as many in corporate America had expected a lighter touch under a new administration. SoftBank Said to Be in Talks to Invest as Much as $25 Billion in OpenAI A new investment from the Japanese conglomerate would be separate from the $100 billion tied to a project announced at the White House last week. The Beauty and the Risk Soumya Karlamangla, who covers California based in San Francisco, explores how the fires are reshaping her view of her home state. OpenAI Says DeepSeek May Have Improperly Harvested Its Data The San Francisco start-up claims that its Chinese rival may have used data generated by OpenAI technologies to build new systems. On Sunday, the Grammys Hope to Hit the Right Note Our music industry correspondent talks about what he'll be watching, and what may look different, at this year's music awards. Bill Gates Isn't Like Those Other Tech Billionaires The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist is taking a break from the future to examine his past — and mulling where the billionaires now fit in. 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