In today’s news and commentary, Los Angeles’ economy reels from ICE raids, a new appeal challenges the NCAA antitrust settlement, and the EPA places dissenting employees on leave.

Employers in Los Angeles are reporting widespread labor shortages following recent ICE raids throughout the city. Landscapers, renovation companies, and real estate developers say they are struggling to hire the people required to keep their businesses running. “We don’t have enough people to staff the work and we’re scrambling to figure it out,” said Arturo Sneider, CEO of Primestor, a shopping center manager. This shortage, caused by arrests and workers who have gone into hiding, further destabilizes an economy still recovering from recent wildfires and tariffs which disrupted trade flow at the Port of Los Angeles. Business owners expect the “unpredictability [of] the raids” to further “increase costs and slow things down.” Los Angeles has been a focus of President Trump’s deportation campaign and recently saw over 1,600 arrests from June 6 to June 22. 

On Thursday, a group of plaintiffs filed notice of a new appeal challenging the NCAA’s $2.8 billion antitrust settlement with student-athletes. Citing Title IX concerns, the objectors allege that the settlement’s payouts to roughly 400,000 current and former Division I athletes unfairly benefit male players and devalue women’s athletics. The appeal will once again delay the release of back damages as laid out in the settlement, which was given final approval by the Northern District of California on June 6. 

On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed roughly 140 employees who had recently signed a letter criticizing the Trump administration on administrative leave. The letter, self-described as a “Declaration of Dissent,” was circulated earlier in the week and alleges that EPA head Lee Zeldin has used the agency’s communication platforms to “promote misinformation and overly partisan rhetoric.” The EPA characterized the letter as misleading and unrepresentative of its employees. “The Environmental Protection Agency has a zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the administration’s agenda,” the EPA said Thursday. Nicole Cantello, lawyer for the EPA and president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, said the action constitutes “blatant retaliation” and promised to defend those affected “vigorously.”