May 22, 2020 - Politics & Policy

DOJ warns L.A. against "long-term" coronavirus lockdown, as county reopens

Orion Rummler

In this image, a woman buys ice cream from a street vendor — A street vendor sells a snow cone in MacArthur Park, Los Angeles on May 21. Photo: Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images

The Trump administration warned Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Friday that a "long-term lockdown" of the city "may be both arbitrary and unlawful," in a letter from Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband.

Where it stands: L.A. County is reporting the most coronavirus cases and fatalities in California, with 42,063 cases and 2,016 deaths as of Thursday, data from the state health department show.

Beach bike paths and indoor shopping malls reopened across the county on Friday, and non-essential businesses including bookstores and clothing retailers resumed earlier this month.

Flashback: California was the first state in the U.S. to order all residents to stay home.

Of note: Separately, the DOJ challenged Illinois' stay-at-home order in federal court on Friday, arguing that the governor's orders extended beyond the scope of the state's 30-day state of emergency.

Go deeper: California to allow some retailers to reopen as state scales up contact tracing program

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DOJ warns L.A. against "long-term" coronavirus lockdown, as county reopens

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