Dozens of federal agents in tactical gear descended on Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park on Monday morning, prompting fierce backlash from local officials and igniting fresh protests as the Trump administration continues its aggressive immigration enforcement campaign.
Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations — some on horseback, others in armored vehicles — surrounded the park, a well-known gathering place in a predominantly migrant community. In total, 17 Humvees and four tactical trucks were deployed in the raid, backed by roughly 90 members of the California National Guard.
The scene drew swift condemnation from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who rushed to the park upon hearing what was unfolding. Sharing footage on social media, she called the display “absolutely outrageous.”
“Just minutes before this video was taken, over 20 kids were playing here,” Bass wrote on X. “Then the MILITARY rolls in. I went straight to the site to speak with the person in charge and told them this needed to stop — immediately.”
The operation sparked large protests, with crowds chanting “Get out!” as agents moved in. Immigration activists had warned residents to evacuate the area ahead of time. It’s unclear how many, if any, arrests were made during the raid.
The Department of Homeland Security says more than 1,600 people in Los Angeles and surrounding Southern California areas have been arrested by ICE since June 6.
President Donald Trump last month ordered 4,000 National Guard troops and 800 Marines to California — the first such federal military deployment to a state without its governor’s request in over 60 years. His move came in response to mounting protests and widespread resistance to the raids across Los Angeles.
Governor Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit against the administration, calling the deployment an “outrageous overreach” that instilled fear in immigrant communities. “This isn’t about law enforcement. It’s about intimidation,” Newsom said in a statement.
Clashes have broken out at several previous ICE operations in the city, with agents using tear gas and flash-bangs as protesters hurled rocks at government vehicles. Trump, defending the crackdown, claimed Los Angeles would have been “completely obliterated” without the National Guard.
As tensions simmer, Monday’s show of force has only deepened the divide between the White House and California — a flashpoint in the national immigration debate.
