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LA Council Candidate Says He'll Live in Trailer Outside MacArthur Park to Spotlight Crime and Homelessness

Raul Claros, a 45-year-old challenger for Los Angeles City Council District 1, says he will live in a trailer outside MacArthur Park if elected to pressure the city on crime, homelessness and drug activity. He acknowledged the plan is meant to attract attention from city departments and resources. Hernandez's campaign called the pledge a publicity stunt, while Claros pointed to two recent homicides and criticized local leadership. The park area also saw federal immigration operations this summer, which drew criticism from the mayor for disrupting children's activities.

01:02 PM, 12/03/2025Politics
LA Council Candidate Says He'll Live in Trailer Outside MacArthur Park to Spotlight Crime and Homelessness

Raul Claros, a 45-year-old community organizer challenging Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez for Los Angeles City Council District 1, announced he would live and work from a trailer parked outside MacArthur Park if elected. Claros says the move is intended to draw sustained city attention to what he describes as a "multilayered crisis" of crime, homelessness and drug activity in and around the park.

"MacArthur Park itself and the immediate area has now become a disaster zone," Claros said. "We need to do something out of the box." He told reporters he plans to remain in the trailer until city departments commit resources and take effective action to address public-safety and homelessness concerns.

Claros was candid that the stunt is intended to attract attention. "We definitely do want the attention. We want the attention of every department and resource," he said, framing the pledge as a way to escalate pressure on municipal agencies.

Campaign response: Naomi Villagomez Roochnik, a spokesperson for Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, dismissed the plan as a publicity stunt and said Hernandez's office remains focused on delivering results for residents, not exploiting low-income neighborhoods for headlines.

In response, Claros criticized Hernandez's record on homelessness and public safety, noting there were two homicides reported in the MacArthur Park area over the past year. He also accused her office of mismanagement and argued that stronger action is needed.

Local context: This part of Los Angeles has also been the focus of federal immigration enforcement this summer, including operations that involved National Guard personnel. Federal officials have cited a notable MS-13 presence in the surrounding neighborhood. Mayor Karen Bass publicly condemned the federal actions, saying the raids frightened children attending a summer day camp and disrupted community programming.

The trailer pledge is a high-profile campaign tactic intended to elevate a local policy debate over public safety, homelessness and the role of policing. Supporters say it could force coordination across city departments; critics call it a publicity move that risks oversimplifying complex, long-term problems.

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