Governor Gavin Newsom
California Governor Gavin Newsom was invited by concerned citizens from Ronald Reagan American Legion Post 283 and the Palisades Long-Term Recovery Group to a private meeting in Pacific Palisades on March 3.
At the meeting at the Legion Hall, the Governor asked for an updated progress report on the Pacific Palisades rebuild and the next steps needed to move it forward.
Community members strategized with the Governor on how to work together to receive more state/federal resources. As of now, there have been no federal funds going to Pacific Palisades (or Altadena). A governor is responsible for obtaining federal dollars for his state.
Residents said they were willing to provide current disaster-funding requests to the governor to present to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and to HUD. Funding from both agencies is vital to help rebuild the more than 7,000 structures that were burned during the January 2025 Palisades Fire.
It was hoped that with additional information, Newsom could make a new plea to Washington and break the current stalemate.
Adding problems to the release of FEMA funding is an impasse in Congress over funding the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Legislators are not acknowledging that (ICE) is largely unaffected by the shutdown and remains funded – on account of the $75 billion doled out for border operations in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Those funds are set to cover ICE for years.
What is affected by the impasse and not funded? The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Secret Service and the Coast Guard.