The Challenges Facing The Uninsured Looking To Rebuild In Altadena

Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, October 21, 2025…

• Rebuilding after January’s fires in Los Angeles County is underway for some people. But an Altadena family is facing what may be insurmountable financial obstacles.
• Congressional Democrats plan to investigate reports that federal agents unlawfully detained U.S. citizens during the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
• In San Diego County, two members of Congress were denied access on Monday to the federal courthouse, where immigrants are being detained in the building’s basement.

An Uninsured Altadenan Is Determined To Rebuild. Will The Obstacles Be Insurmountable?

Alphonso Browne pulls open the gate to his property, revealing a wide dirt lot, the concrete foundation of his former home and a pile of bricks that once framed his wraparound porch. At the back of the lot, where there used to be a garage, two burnt-out classic cars remain — a 1947 Dodge pickup and a 1964 Volvo sedan. The Volvo was Browne’s favorite from his once-expansive antique collection. At the front of the lot, there’s a new trailer Browne and his wife bought with the help of FEMA funding.

“We have this for a backup, just in case the temporary housing runs out,” Browne says. The Brownes have lived in Altadena, just west of Lake Avenue, for more than 30 years. They raised four children in their 1912 Craftsman. The only negative of the house, Browne recalls, was its lack of insulation. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t change the house for nothing, except now Mr. Eaton makes us change it,” he says with a smile and soft laugh.

Browne, a retired bus driver, and his wife, Celestine, a former mail carrier, have been moving from place to place since losing their home in the Eaton Fire: the Pasadena Convention Center for a month, various hotels and finally a small senior housing apartment in Pasadena, which they are paying for with FEMA funding. They’re about to apply to renew their application for that temporary housing, which lasts up to 18 months.

The Brownes live on a fixed income. They want to rebuild, but there’s a major obstacle: They were dropped by their homeowners insurance a month before the fire. Browne points to the stump of what was once a large oak tree shading the home. “They determined that the branch was hanging over the roof,” Browne says of his insurance company, Liberty Mutual. “I had some Christmas garlands on the side, hanging over the roof of the patio.” And he had 10 vehicles, mostly classic cars, in the back. All reasons he was given by his insurer for dropping him.

The Brownes do have $400,000 from their mortgage lender’s insurance, but that’s far from the amount they need to rebuild. Browne says most of the estimates he’s received from contractors to rebuild what he had come in at over $1 million.

The lack of direct, long-term financial aid for rebuilding is one of the biggest issues facing fire survivors who are underinsured or not insured at all, several experts told LAist. “Homeowners need more direct support and clarity,” says Gabriella Carmona,  a senior research analyst at UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute, who cowrote a new analysis about the issues facing fire survivors. That report found that a small percentage of survivors have sold their properties, and roughly 70% have yet to take any steps to rebuild. Black homeowners, who were disproportionately affected by the Eaton Fire, were more likely to be stalled in their progress nine months on.

Southern California Democrat Launches Investigation Into Immigration Raids

U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) announced Monday that Democrats on the House Oversight Committee will launch an investigation into the ongoing federal immigration raids — starting with those that happened in Los Angeles. The investigation will also look into recent reports that at least 170 U.S. citizens have been detained by immigration agents in the federal government crackdown.

Garcia is the ranking Democratic member on the House Oversight Committee. In that capacity, he will lead hearings across the country starting in Los Angeles, according to his office. Democrats, because they are in the minority in the House, lack subpoena power but can request information from federal and other agencies. “Democrats are going to record and create an investigative unit here to ensure that in Los Angeles we look into every single brutal misconduct ICE is committing,” Garcia said Monday.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass joined Garcia at a news conference where she said she welcomed the investigation. She said non-criminal undocumented immigrants have been unfairly targeted. “They are neighbors and workers contributing to our city and they continue to be swept up in these actions, denied their rights and subjected to fear and uncertainty without legal protection,” Bass said.

Immigration Agents Deny US Reps. Access To Basement Facility At Federal Courthouse

San Diego-area Reps. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) and Scott Peters (D-San Diego) held a news conference Monday morning in front of the downtown federal courthouse to bring attention to how federal authorities are detaining immigrants. The two Democrats said they’ve heard reports that the number of people being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the basement of the federal building could exceed the building’s capacity.

“We’ve had reports to our office that a number of people have been detained and held in the basement of the building far beyond any of the standards that are humane and legally necessary,” Vargas said. KPBS reached out to ICE for confirmation on whether detainees are held in the federal building’s basement — and if so, for how long. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to our request.

Both Vargas and Peters entered the building Monday morning, but said they were denied access to the basement facility. “Normally when you go to a facility you can ask ‘how many people have you detained? What are their ages? Are there family members?’ They wouldn’t give us any information whatsoever. We did ask those questions,” Vargas said.

Vargas said federal agents there told them they needed more notice to enter the basement facility, even though he said his office notified ICE nearly 48 hours in advance of Monday’s visit. Regardless, as members of Congress, Vargas and Peters said they’re allowed to make unannounced visits to conduct oversight.