Memo Torres

Allegations. The claims in this section are allegations from reporting by L.A. Material and sources close to L.A. TACO, which described ethics concerns inside the newsroom. They were never admitted by Torres, never criminally charged, and never adjudicated in court. Torres denies all of them and says the firing was pretext, rooted in internal fights over the outlet’s immigration coverage, not his conduct.

Introduction

Memo Torres, 46, the most visible immigration reporter at the Los Angeles outlet L.A. TACO, was fired this week after what the publication describes as an internal investigation into repeated violations of its policies and journalistic standards . The split immediately erupted into a public war of words: Torres told his followers he was blindsided, while L.A. TACO published a staff letter insisting the firing had nothing to do with its ICE coverage and everything to do with his conduct . Reporting by L.A. Material added a sharper layer to the dispute — allegations that Torres had a personal relationship with a California state senator while covering her, and that the senator helped write stories that ran under his byline .

Background Information

Torres spent years as one of the most recognizable names in Los Angeles immigration journalism. Through the 2025 ICE enforcement surge he chronicled nearly every enforcement action in the region in three-minute “Daily Memo” videos, work fans compared to Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite . L.A. TACO’s own author page describes him as “an award-winning journalist covering ICE and immigration raids,” host of the Daily Memo, a Netflix “Taco Chronicles” alumnus, and a third-generation landscaper . The son of a Mexican immigrant from Zacatecas, he never held a full-time journalism job until 2025, when he sold his landscaping business to report full time .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

According to reporting by L.A. Material, two sources close to L.A. TACO said the departure came amid management concerns that Torres “refused to adhere to ethics standards, including bypassing editors, making errors and engaging in a romantic relationship with an elected official while writing about her and her legislation” . The senator was identified in coverage as Democratic state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, 34, described as the youngest lawmaker in the California Senate, whose political agenda Torres had covered . The most serious allegation, per L.A. Material’s sources, is that Pérez was allowed to edit and write portions of stories published under Torres’ byline . Pérez strongly denied it: “I did not write any articles or control the editorial decisions of L.A. Taco,” adding that anyone suggesting otherwise was “attempting to undermine my work and attack Memo’s integrity” . She acknowledged the prior personal relationship and said management asked the two to limit their communication about six months ago, a request she says they honored .

The outlet frames the firing as the end of a long process, not a sudden purge. L.A. TACO’s staff letter says the decision “followed an internal investigation, nearly five months of conversations, and real chances to be accountable and do better” . Sources cited by L.A. Material alleged management had introduced safeguards over concerns about Torres’ conduct, including requiring him to complete an ethics course that he allegedly failed to take, and that tensions came to a head this month when management confronted him over a significant journalistic error and his alleged refusal to accept responsibility . “Memo Torres did important work here… But we fired him for repeated violations of our policies and our basic journalistic standards. That’s it. That’s the reason,” the outlet said in its statement . Torres disputes the account: “I have no idea what they are talking about. I have never refused accountability about anything,” he told L.A. Material . A source close to him rejected the ghostwriting claim outright — arguing the veteran reporter would never let anyone write under his byline — and claimed executives knew about the relationship as early as February and used it as a pretext to push him out amid internal disagreements over immigration coverage .

Public Reaction and Consequences

The firing detonated inside a loyal audience. When Torres announced the departure, L.A. Material recorded followers promising to cancel monthly donations and warning editor-in-chief Javier Cabral: “I really hope they left on their own terms and they didn’t get pushed out because we take care of our own raza” . L.A. TACO answered with an unusual public counterattack, writing that Torres “told his followers a different story: that he was blindsided,” that the rumor it had turned its back on ICE coverage was “a lie. And a dangerous one,” and that “our journalists are being harassed over a story that isn’t true” . The letter closed with a direct challenge — “Memo, you’ve always said you stand for the truth. Then tell it” — and an assurance that the outlet’s immigration coverage would continue “at full force” as it hires new reporters .

Current Status

Torres, 46, is out of L.A. TACO, which says it offered him a generous severance and public support for his next venture, and says he instead told followers he had been blindsided by the departure . He maintains he was ready to go independent and has disputed that he ever refused accountability for his work . The California Post reported it reached out to Torres for comment; no lawsuit has been reported by either side . The ghostwriting allegation remains unadjudicated, and both Torres and Pérez deny it .

Impact on Their Career/Life

The episode shadows the signature achievement of Torres’ career: a body of immigration coverage built on audience trust, now wrapped in an ethics fight he calls fabricated. The outlet that made his name has publicly repudiated his account, and the community mobilizing in his defense stands accused by his former employer of harassing its journalists over a story it insists is false. Whatever the truth, the “Daily Memo” era at L.A. TACO is over, and the outlet’s ICE reporting continues without its most famous byline.

Sources

• NY Post, “Top LA journalist had fling with Dem SoCal lawmaker, let her write his stories: report,” October 24, 2026 — source
• L.A. Material, “Did a Romantic Relationship With a State Politician End Memo Torres’ Career at L.A. Taco?” October 24, 2026 — source
• L.A. TACO, “A Letter From Our Staff: Setting the Record Straight,” October 24, 2026 — source
• Los Angeles Times, “L.A. Taco staffer delivers the deportation diary L.A. never wanted,” November 25, 2025 — source
• L.A. TACO, “Memo Torres” (author page) — source