A heat wave is gripping Los Angeles, and the National Weather Service is warning residents to take health precautions. As temperatures rise, some people in LA face a difficult choice: seek shelter at public cooling centers, parks or other public areas with AC where they might encounter federal immigration agents — or risk the health consequences of extreme heat.
One Echo Park resident, who asked to remain anonymous due to her documentation status, said she lives with her husband and son in a one-bedroom apartment that was built in 1958. Because their apartment can only accommodate one portable AC unit, the air inside is usually about 20 degrees hotter than the air outside. She said she does all her household chores at dawn, then retreats to her bedroom.
In past summers, she said she has sent her son to air-conditioned or outdoor camps or summer schools, and the family has spent time at air-conditioned libraries, museums and parks…