Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass personally intervened Monday afternoon during an apparent ICE operation at McArthur Park, confronting armed federal agents and demanding an end to the raids.
Bass, who had earlier called for a halt to Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in the area, arrived at the 19th-century park in the Westlake neighborhood after reports emerged of a heavy federal presence. Local media outlets said ICE agents in armored vehicles and on horseback had surrounded the park early Monday morning, sparking confusion and concern among residents.
Photos and video from the scene showed Mayor Bass walking with federal officials and surrounded by media as she surveyed the ongoing operation. In a brief exchange caught on camera, Bass appeared visibly frustrated before quickly leaving the scene in her vehicle.
“Unacceptable”: Mayor Demands End to Operation
According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, Bass told one of their photojournalists that the ICE agents “need to leave immediately” and that the manner in which the raid was carried out was “unacceptable.”
The journalist also overheard Bass on a phone call asking about the agents’ timeline for leaving the park, reportedly stating they had “completed their mission here.”
What We Know About the ICE Operation
The raid began around dawn, with masked federal agents in tactical gear reportedly entering the park from multiple directions. Horse-mounted officers were seen sweeping through the area, though as of Monday afternoon, it remained unclear whether any arrests or detentions had taken place.
ICE has not yet confirmed the nature or scope of the operation, and no official statement had been released at the time of this report.
Bass’s confrontation marks a rare public clash between a major city mayor and federal immigration authorities — one that highlights the ongoing tension between local and federal responses to immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
Further details are expected as city and federal officials respond to public outcry over the show of force in one of LA’s most densely populated neighborhoods.
