California orders mass dismantling of unhoused people's camps
Gavin Newsom's move follows a Supreme Court ruling last month in favor of an Oregon city that ticketed people for sleeping outside


What happened
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced on Thursday that state officials would begin removing thousands of encampments populated by unhoused people across the state, following a sweeping ruling by the United States Supreme Court, which upheld Oregon's ban on people without homes sleeping outdoors.
Who said what
Newsom's executive order directs state agencies to "address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them," the Governor said in a statement. "There are simply no more excuses. It's time for everyone to do their part."
Homelessness has become a "paramount issue in California and a political liability for Newsom and other Democrats as voter frustration has grown," Politico said. Newsom was "among a host of leaders who begged the high court to intervene" earlier this year, after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals initially ruled that it was "unconstitutional to punish people for sleeping in public spaces when they had no other legal place to spend the night," The New York Times said. Homeless people and their advocates have argued that the push to clear the encampments is "cruel and a waste of taxpayer money," which should be put toward "more housing, not crackdowns," The Associated Press said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Newsom's order requires state and local officials to "adopt humane and dignified policies to urgently address encampments on state property," the Governor's office said. They do not need to "ensure there are enough shelter beds for everyone before removing an encampment," Politico said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Gavin Newsom's Trump-style trolling roils critics while thrilling fans
TALKING POINTS The California governor has turned his X account into a cutting parody of Trump's digital cadence, angering Fox News conservatives
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Border agents crash Newsom redistricting kickoff
Speed Read Armed federal Border Patrol agents amassed outside the venue where the California governor and other Democratic leaders were gathered
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Deportations: The growing backlash
Feature New poll numbers show declining support for Trump's deportation crackdown
-
Gavin Newsom mulls California redistricting to counter Texas gerrymandering
TALKING POINTS A controversial plan has become a major flashpoint among Democrats struggling for traction in the Trump era
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel feds
Speed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium