Skaf's general manager denied that they cut down the tree to make their restaurant's sign more visible from the street. The full story: lataco.com/skafs-on-yor... By @shoton35mm.bsky.social

Federal immigration agencies were involved in at least 33 deaths this year. The full story: lataco.com/33-deaths-fe... By Aisha Wallace-Palomares

Sunday Taquitos #7: Raid at Santa’s Workshop Art by Ivan Ehlers.

“That seems like a crime to me,” said a woman who witnessed the incident. “Imagine if they had killed those kids.” The full story: lataco.com/indio-vehicl... By Aisha Wallace-Palomares, Memo Torres, Izzy Ramirez, and Amaray D. Alvarez

I don’t ever want to hear anyone say “the raids aren't as bad.” this is the last 2 days. lataco.com/daily-memo-d...

DAILY MEMO: The Escalation Continues Before Christmas as ICE, HSI, and Border Patrol Set Record Raids Again This Week

Richard Hart is the latest person who has painted a target on his back to an entire republic, after giving a response to a question about Mexico’s bread culture. One born out of hubris and lack of understanding his privilege. The full story: lataco.com/richard-hart... By @theglutster.bsky.social

Also in this weekend's guide, a happy hour with smoked tuna flautas, a stand for Armenian pork neck on rice, a cafe for Turkish pastrami sandwiches, and two sought-after bakers now overseeing his own brick-and-mortar. The full guide: lataco.com/weekend-eats... By Hadley Tomicki

Tear Gas, Censorship, and Medical Neglect At The GEO Owned Adelanto ICE Processing Center These are some of the horror stories detainees risk telling visitors in fear of guard retaliation.  My latest for @lataco.bsky.social lataco.com/neglect-geo-...

Metro's 57.6 mile-long A Line offers riders the chance to access foods from so many countries, regions, and cultures. We picked one favorite restaurant from every stop to guide you on an epic eating tour of Los Angeles. All 48 Spots: lataco.com/48-restauran... By Sean Vukan and L.A. TACO STAFF

Border Patrol raids have started in San Pedro, Long Beach, and surrounding areas this morning, Dec 19th.

Fights, hunger strikes, censorship, retaliations, tear gassing, no janitorial staff, rare meals, and no medical care. On International Migrant’s Day, a coalition of groups organized a rally outside of Adelanto City Hall to share what’s happening at the privately owned GEO detention center for ICE.

Learn about investigations into lead contamination after the 2025 L.A. Fires and how they can help communities prepare for future disasters, at Francois Tissot’s Watson Lecture. One of our favorite parts: it's totally free to the public! The full story: lataco.com/lead-contami...

DAILY MEMO: ICE And Border Patrol Spotted In 18 Cities Taking Street Vendors, Construction Workers, and Crashing Into Vehicles While Chasing People @eltragon.bsky.social

Anti-loitering speakers have been installed in the parking lot of Home Depot in Cypress Park, following a recent Border Patrol raid. “It’s like a sonic ice pick–just stabbing you,” says audio expert Dustyn Hyatt. The full story: lataco.com/cypress-park... By Aisha Wallace-Palomares

Earlier this week L.A. TACO’s Aisha Wallace-Palomares, Izzy Rodriguez, and @eltragon.bsky.social joined Harbor Area Peace Patrol for their daily monotoring at Terminal Island, the staging ground for federal immigration agents.

DAILY MEMO: Federal Agents Ram Truck Into Fleeing Man Before Abducting Him @eltragon.bsky.social

Burger pop-up La Burg combines all-beef patties from McCall's butchers in Atwater Village, Oaxacan cheese, habanero aioli, and more to leave just the right amount of tingle inside your mouth. The full story: lataco.com/la-burg-pop-up By Isaac Ceja

Complete your holiday shopping and support street-level journalism while doing so. Shop L.A. TACO classics and the newest drops at SHOP.LATACO.COM

Every December, thousands of well-known and emerging artists from around the world scale down their work on three-by-three inch Post-it notes and display them at Giant Robot 2 in Sawtelle. The full story: lataco.com/giant-robot-... By @marinamasako.bsky.social

Since day one, L.A. TACO’s small-but-mighty staff has produced crucial daily reports on the ongoing immigration raids. Your membership makes this possible. It’s what keeps L.A. TACO fearless, local, and totally independent. Become a member today: lataco.com/join #FreeLA

Originally from Texas, activist Eddy Patiño spent days on the frontlines of L.A.'s anti-ICE protests before moving to Mexico City. The full story: lataco.com/activist-mov... By Izzy Ramirez

Canter’s staff shaped the deli into what it is today: a place where a stranger is treated like a regular, and a regular is treated like family. Here we speak with three employees with a combined 133 years working at the Fairfax landmark. The full story: lataco.com/canters-deli... By Lauren Bethke

A U.S. Senate report reveals new testimonies from detained victims of Border Patrol. The full story: lataco.com/detained-cit... By Aisha Wallace-Palomares

Sunday Taquitos #6: “Your papers, please.” Art by Ivan Ehlers.

The report includes three U.S. Citizens from the L.A. area, speaking out for the first time and a six-year-old child with autism kidnapped in Massachusetts. The full story: lataco.com/10-damning-t... By Aisha Wallace-Palomares

Perfume for goths, elk burgers, ICE piñatas, graffiti books, and 18 other items that should get your gift-giving wheels turning. The full guide: lataco.com/2025-gift-gu... By Hadley Tomicki and Julianne Le

Also in this weekend's guide, a new modern Indian restaurant with pork vindaloo croquettes and a breakfast spot for chicken katsu and waffles. The full guide: lataco.com/weekend-eats... By Hadley Tomicki

Los Angeles-based artist and printmaker Ernesto Yerena has been designing calaveras for 20 years. His new design incorporates what @theglutster.bsky.social calls “easter eggs” celebrating the heart and soul of L.A. A limited run of Yerena’s prints are available to preorder on shop.lataco.com 💀

Banana leaf tamales, tamales filled with savory corn pudding, sweet tamales, and those that can only be described as "unique." Los Angeles really is the best U.S. city for tamal season. The full guide: lataco.com/best-tamales... By L.A. TACO STAFF

The matcha shortage, fueled by social media trends and compounded by many farmers retiring and young people not continuing the craft, and manufacturing limitations, has driven matcha powder prices through the roof. The full story: lataco.com/matcha-price... By Ally Nakamura

DAILY MEMO: CBP MIA in recent ICE raids, and a breakdown of the new no mask laws for ICE and law enforcement in California. @eltragon.bsky.social

Otto Markel is tradition-obsessed. He soaks the rice, and eventually plans to cook it over live fire, evoking the communal feel of Christmas midnight mass in the Philippines. The full story: lataco.com/bibingka-nan... By Lauren Bethke

Daniel Fernandez shares more with Memo Torres about TMC Community Capital's distinctive approach to finance. Through Community Chronicles, TMC lifts up the real stories behind small businesses, giving voice to the entrepreneurs whose daily work shapes the soul of our communities.

On Tuesday December 2, the Los Angeles City Council shut down a proposal that would have restricted the LAPD’s use of tear gas and 40 millimeter foam rounds against protestors and people in Los Angeles. @shoton35mm.bsky.social shares more details on the falied proposal.

DAILY MEMO: Border Patrol was seemingly absent today, except for a raid at the Lemon Grove Home Depot. Meanwhile, ICE and HSI targeted courthouses and Santa Barbara neighborhoods, taking another U.S. citizen today. (no video today) lataco.com/daily-memo-d...

As L.A.'s first and only publication dedicated to finding the best tacos, we are excited to present you all with this year's list. Here is #10. Become a member and access the full list: lataco.com/69-best-taco...

For a show named after loving the city, let's hope season two can actually love the city a little more for who and what it is, not for just what it appears to be on cellphones. The full story: lataco.com/i-love-la-re... By Francisco Aviles Pino

Daily Memo: A Thousand Confirmed Kidnappings in the Past 90 Days, Plus Two More Deaths in Detention @eltragon.bsky.social

Justice Kavanaugh laid out the framework for how racial profiling is permissible by federal agents leading to what has now been coined as the “Kavanaugh Stop,” by professor Anil Kalhan. The full story: lataco.com/kavanaugh-st... By @eltragon.bsky.social

These L.A. film labs are keeping the craft alive. While photographing the city's precious landmarks, these shops have become ones themselves. The full guide: lataco.com/photo-film-l... By Erwin Recinos

Sunday

Sunday Taquitos #5: Out of Business Art by Ivan Ehlers.

This tea bar quietly opened in May this year, quietly carving out a hidden third space for the tea-obsessed and the sober-curious alike. The full story: lataco.com/secret-dtla-... By Kate Stuzin

In 2020, executive director and environmentalist Emma Robbins founded The Chapter House, now home to an annual drag show, Indigenous art galleries, and improv comedy events. The full story: lataco.com/the-chapter-... By Julianne Le

DAILY MEMO: Border Patrol Posed As Humans Hiring Day Laborers As A Ruse to Kidnap Them Border Patrol raided five Home Depots, chased a man into a bus, and a flower vendor into a gas station, who were among at least 13 people kidnapped around the Southland. Full Report: lataco.com/daily-memo-d...

Meanwhile, one of L.A.'s best Thai spot comes west, a Swahili food business arises in South L.A., and a chocolate vending machine graces West Hollywood. This weekend's guide: lataco.com/weekend-eats... By Hadley Tomicki

"They told me that they dropped me back off, but no, they just dropped me off somewhere random,” the man explains, after being interrogated inside of a vehicle. The full story: lataco.com/cbp-detains-... By @afroxander.bsky.social

DAILY MEMO: Over 20 Kidnapped by ICE and CBP, Including Another U.S. Citizen, Amid Escalating Southern California Raids