Federal officers and National Guard troops conducted an operation in MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, involving foot patrols, horseback units, and military vehicles on a Monday. The approximately hour-long deployment occurred in a park located in a predominantly immigrant neighborhood before abruptly ending. Local officials expressed concerns that the operation appeared intended to create fear.
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The Department of Homeland Security did not confirm whether arrests were made or provide details on the reason for targeting the park or the operation’s sudden conclusion. Approximately 90 members of the California National Guard were present to support immigration officers, according to defense officials.
Operation in MacArthur Park
The operation took place at MacArthur Park, situated in a Los Angeles neighborhood recognized for its large Mexican, Central American, and other immigrant populations. The area features businesses with signs in various languages and has been referred to by some local officials as the “Ellis Island of the West Coast.”
MacArthur Park itself is a large urban green space with a lake, amphitheater, and sports fields frequently used by local families. Vendors and food stands populate a thoroughfare near the park, serving the diverse community.
Among those present during the operation were health care outreach workers assisting homeless individuals, who reported being told to leave the park by troops pointing guns. Photos from the scene depicted federal officers on horseback near a soccer field and armed authorities alongside armored vehicles.
Federal agents and California National Guard members on horseback in MacArthur Park during immigration enforcement operation in Los Angeles.
Mayor Karen Bass, who visited the park during the event, described the scene as looking like “a city under siege, under armed occupation.” She noted that children at a day camp were moved indoors to avoid the sight of troops, and an 8-year-old boy expressed fear of immigration enforcement. Council member Eunisses Hernandez, whose district includes MacArthur Park, stated her belief that the park was targeted “precisely because of who lives there and what it represents.”
Context of Increased Immigration Enforcement
The operation involved 17 Humvees, four tactical vehicles, two ambulances, and armed Guard members. It occurred amidst increased federal immigration enforcement efforts, including the deployment of thousands of Guard members and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles the previous month following protests over earlier raids.
This deployment was part of the administration’s focus on increased deportations, utilizing military resources in ways less common in prior administrations.
In response to inquiries about the MacArthur Park operation, the Department of Homeland Security stated they would not comment on “ongoing enforcement operations.”
Over 4,000 California National Guard members and hundreds of U.S. Marines had been deployed in Los Angeles since June, a move opposed by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Some troops were later reassigned to wildfire duties. Governor Newsom characterized the park event as a “spectacle.”
Defense officials, speaking anonymously, clarified that the event was not a military operation but acknowledged that the scale of the Guard’s involvement might appear that way to the public. They stated the Guard’s primary role was to protect immigration enforcement officers in case of public resistance.
Reactions from Local Officials and Community
Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson criticized the operation, likening it to a “staging for a TikTok video” and suggesting federal agencies obtain film permits if they wished to stage such displays. He argued the action was designed to “scare the bejesus out of everybody who lives in this great city.”
Chris Newman, legal director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, described the operation as a “demonstration of escalation” and a “reality TV spectacle” rather than a typical enforcement action. He noted that prior enforcement actions had already led to fewer people frequenting the park and nearby immigrant neighborhoods.
Betsy Bolte, a local resident who witnessed the event after seeing a helicopter, described it as “gut-wrenching” and a “show of force.” She called it “terror” and felt it was “ripping the heart and soul out of Los Angeles,” expressing shock, disbelief, anger, and heartbreak.
The federal operation in MacArthur Park generated significant concern among local officials and residents regarding its impact on the community, highlighting tensions between federal immigration enforcement priorities and local sentiments in Los Angeles.
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