Figueroa Corridor, a roughly four-mile stretch in Los Angeles, continues to operate as a significant sex market, where individuals gather to sell sex acts nightly. Recent policy changes in California have drawn scrutiny over their impact on policing this area, which has a long history of sex trafficking.
In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 357, a law that decriminalized loitering with the intent to commit prostitution. Newsom stated at the time that the bill aimed to reduce the harassment of women and transgender adults, citing disproportionate enforcement against these groups. The law repealed provisions that had previously allowed officers to use loitering charges to curtail street-based sex markets and potentially identify victims of trafficking.
Prior to SB 357, California law had prohibited loitering with intent to commit prostitution since at least 1995. An earlier law, SB 1322 signed in 2016, had already prohibited minors from being charged with solicitation or loitering offenses, aiming to prevent trafficked children from being treated as criminals.
Critics, including former law enforcement officials and researchers, contend that SB 357 has made it more challenging for law enforcement to manage the sex trade on Figueroa. They argue that the decriminalization of loitering has emboldened prostitution and made it more visible, with individuals appearing to wear less clothing. Previously, officers could use loitering as a basis to stop individuals, gather information, and potentially rescue trafficking victims. Under the new law, law enforcement reports having to rely more heavily on resource-intensive undercover operations to target traffickers directly.
Stephany Powell, a former sergeant in the LAPD Vice unit and executive director of Journey Out, a nonprofit serving human trafficking victims, has observed the conditions on Figueroa. She noted that the average age of entry into sex trafficking can be between 12 and 14, with some individuals remaining on the streets for years. Powell stated that traffickers often control the individuals engaged in prostitution.
Federal intervention has occurred in response to the persistent issues. In August 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the region initiated its first RICO human trafficking case against members of the Hoover Criminal Gang. Six individuals were charged with crimes including sex trafficking of minors, money laundering, and child sexual exploitation. A subsequent federal operation on July 1 apprehended 10 more suspects, including an individual accused of profiting from the gang's trafficking activities.
Authors of a commentary on the issue, Christopher F. Rufo and Kenneth Schrupp, argue that the policy shift has not reduced harassment but has instead enabled a rise in crime and exploitation on Figueroa Corridor, directly contradicting the stated intentions of the legislation.