The Olympics and the Betrayal of Los Angeles’ Latino Community

Opinion for The Latino Newsletter

Los Angeles, long celebrated as a “city of sanctuary,” now finds itself at a dangerous crossroads.

The 2028 Olympic Games, designated as a National Special Security Event (NSSE), threaten to undermine the very protections that make this city a refuge for immigrant communities. Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, who claim to champion equity and inclusion, are instead enabling policies that would disproportionately harm the Latino population while hiding behind a facade of sustainability and social justice.

The NSSE designation grants the federal government —and by extension, agencies like the FBI, Secret Service, DHS, and ICE— unprecedented power in Los Angeles. Historically, such events have been used to justify sweeping surveillance measures, mass policing, and heavy-handed crackdowns on dissent.

Alarmingly, Mayor Bass has expedited this process by requesting the NSSE designation a full four years ahead of the 2028 Olympics, rather than the typical few months prior to the event. This unprecedented move has already set in motion extensive federal law enforcement coordination in Los Angeles, effectively placing the city under prolonged surveillance. ​ 

This development coincides with President Donald Trump's renewed calls for mass deportations, creating a perilous environment for undocumented residents. By aligning with federal security measures under the guise of Olympic preparedness, Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass are complicit in policies that could lead to increased deportations, undermining the sanctuary status they publicly uphold.​

More Surveillance

The deployment of advanced surveillance technologies, particularly facial recognition systems, poses additional risks. Studies have consistently shown that these systems exhibit significant racial biases, with error rates disproportionately higher for people of color. For instance, research indicates that facial recognition technology can have an error rate of up to 35% for darker-skinned individuals, compared to less than 1% for lighter-skinned individuals. This disparity heightens the likelihood of misidentifying Latino residents, potentially leading to wrongful arrests and deportations.​ 

During past Olympic Games, host cities saw an escalation in state surveillance and displacement, disproportionately impacting low-income communities and people of color. In Rio de Janeiro (2016), police forces used the Games as an excuse to conduct aggressive raids in favelas, targeting Black and Brown residents under the guise of “security.” In London (2012), CCTV monitoring and facial recognition technologies were deployed at an alarming scale, setting a precedent for future abuses. There is no reason to believe Los Angeles would be any different.​

For Latinos in LA, the implications are dire. Increased police presence in historically immigrant-heavy neighborhoods like Boyle Heights and South Central would likely lead to more racial profiling, detentions, and deportations. While Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass publicly decry federal overreach on immigration, they are quietly making it easier for the government to conduct mass surveillance and ICE operations under the banner of “keeping the Olympics safe.”​

The proximity of Latino communities to venues means residents and visitors can easily access various Olympic competitions, making them a target of massive surveillance. Among the announced venues are:

• Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Located in Exposition Park, adjacent to South Central Los Angeles, this historic stadium will host athletics (track and field) events.

• BMO Stadium: Also situated in Exposition Park, BMO Stadium is slated to host soccer matches during the Games.

• USC's Galen Center: This venue will host badminton competitions and is located near South Central Los Angeles.

• Los Angeles Convention Center: Situated in downtown Los Angeles, this center will host fencing, taekwondo, table tennis, judo, and wrestling events.

Los Angeles Can’t Afford It

Beyond civil liberties, there’s the financial recklessness of hosting the Games. Los Angeles is already facing a severe budget crisis, with a shortfall projected in the hundreds of millions. Basic city services —streetlights, public transportation, and affordable housing— are in disrepair. It is reprehensible that city leaders continue to sell the Olympics as an economic boon when history tells us otherwise.​

Every modern Olympics has led to cost overruns, and LA’s would be no different.

Billions of taxpayer dollars will be funneled into Olympic security and temporary bus rental programs for tourists, while working-class Latino neighborhoods continue to struggle. If the city cannot even keep its streetlights on for months at a time, how can it justify the extravagant spending required to host an event of this magnitude?​

The Gentrification Machine

Los Angeles initially committed to a “no-build” Olympics, promising that no new major developments would be necessary to host the Games. However, that commitment is rapidly being reversed. The city is now pushing to exempt Olympic-related construction projects from standard review processes, a move spearheaded by Councilmember Traci Park. This exemption effectively gives developers a blank check to build unchecked, without the oversight that typically protects tenants and working-class communities from displacement.

One of the key areas affected by this reversal is the Los Angeles Promise Zone, which was officially designated to drive economic and housing stability in underserved communities. Instead, with the Olympics approaching, the Promise Zone is a vehicle for large-scale gentrification. The city could fast-track high-end developments under the guise of “Olympic readiness,” jeopardizing thousands of Latino families who have called these neighborhoods home for generations. 

Proponents of LA28 claim it would be the “greenest” and most “equitable” Olympics ever. These are empty promises. The same officials pushing these narratives are failing to invest in real climate solutions, public housing, or public transit access for working-class communities. Instead, they are greenwashing a massive carbon-intensive event, sportswashing the displacement of vulnerable communities, and equitywashing policies that would make life harder for Latinos.​

A Political Shift

Latinos have historically been a powerful force in shaping California’s political landscape, from the rise of the United Farm Workers under César Chávez to the decisive role Latino voters played in flipping Orange County blue in recent elections. Today, as Latino voters increasingly move away from traditional party allegiances, their political power is more important than ever. Supporting the Olympics in its current form is a direct betrayal of this electorate.

Latino families will not benefit from the Games—they will be pushed out, over-policed, and left to foot the bill for a spectacle designed to benefit corporate sponsors and elite investors.

By aligning themselves with this failed model, Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass risk permanently alienating a community whose influence at the ballot box has only grown and will continue to shape the future of California politics. If they do not take immediate steps to halt the Olympics and end the dangerous expansion of surveillance, Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass will face political repercussions. Latinos make up nearly half of Los Angeles’ population, and their voices are growing louder against policies that threaten their safety and economic security. The political future of both leaders is on the line.​

If these two leaders fail to stand up now, their legacy will not be one of progress. The Games must be stopped before they cause irreversible harm to the people who have built this city and continue to fight for its future.

About the Author

NOlympics LA is a coalition of grassroots organizations fighting to stop the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, exposing the Games’ role in accelerating displacement, police militarization, mass surveillance, and the privatization of public resources while advocating for a city that prioritizes its residents over corporate interests.

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What We’re Reading

Spanish and the Oxford English Dictionary: In our inbox on Wednesday, “Orale! Oxford English Dictionary adds US Hispanic words in latest update.” We opened the email and read the following: “English and Spanish are two of the world’s most widely spoken languages, with a combined total of nearly two billion speakers across the globe. They are also languages with a long history of contact and mutual influence; this is evident in the large number of words that they have borrowed from one another over the centuries. The OED already records more than 2,000 words of Spanish origin, with the earliest examples dating as far back as the 14^th century. In this update, the OED has added to that total, drawing on words and phrases shared by Hispanic Americans as well as those specific to the three largest Hispanic groups in the US: Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Puerto Rican Americans.”

Then we saw that ¡HOLA! published a piece about it. Here it is.

The Latino Newsletter welcomes opinion pieces in English and/or Spanish from community voices. Submission guidelines are here. The views expressed by outside opinion contributors do not necessarily reflect the editorial views of this outlet or its employees.