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The apparent immigration attack involving federal agents and military vehicles at MacArthur Park on Monday morning sparked a swift backlash from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
KTLA reporter Rich Prickett, who was on the scene Monday morning, reported spotting homeland security vehicles and military transport trucks located around MacArthur Park in Los Angeles’ Westlake area. He also noted the presence of at least four white vans with no marks similar to those commonly used by federal agents in transporting detainees.
“What a dishonest thing is, what’s going on at MacArthur Park,” Newsom said at a press conference that day. “National Guard men and women protecting people [during wildfires] He is currently used as a political pawn on horseback, running through the football field in the middle of the day. ”
Newsom spoke out on the six-month anniversary of the California wildfires that have devastated communities throughout the state. He highlighted the administration’s support for the immigrant community in the face of federal enforcement measures that he described as an act of “atrocity perpetuated by the US president.”
“Staging Tiktok Video”: Mayor of Base, council members condemn federal attacks at MacArthur Park, LA
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass went to another press conference in Pasadena when notified of the attack, rushed to MacArthur Park himself and shared a video of the incident on social media. The footage showed an officer riding across the football field on a football field full of children attending an urban-run summer camp.
“A few minutes ago, over 20 children were playing, and then the troops came,” Bass wrote. “The second thing I’ve heard about this is that I went to the park and talked to the person in charge and told them I needed to finish it right now. It’s absolutely outrageous.”
Hosted by the city’s Recreation Bureau, the summer camp serves children ages 5 to 12. When the agents entered the area, the children quickly arrived at a nearby building for safety.
“It looked like a city under siege. Under an armed occupation,” she said at a subsequent press conference. “For me, this is another example of a government causing chaos: it’s a political agenda of terror and terror.”
An official involved with RAID told The Associated Press that the operation was intended to be “obvious and larger than we normally participate.” However, the effort was shortened without official explanation. It remains unclear whether arrest or detention was made.
The incident has come amid a growing number of immigration enforcement across Los Angeles County in recent weeks, part of a wider crackdown led by the Trump administration. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) attacks have been reported not only in residential areas but also in businesses such as car washes, retailers and restaurants. The visibility and frequency of these actions prompted widespread protests across Southern California.
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Last week, the Trump administration further expanded tensions by filing a lawsuit accusing Los Angeles of obstructing immigration enforcement efforts with its sanctuary city policies. Mayor Bass reaffirmed the city’s commitment to these policies and said Los Angeles will continue to defend the ordinance against federal overreach.
In response to ongoing protests and criticism, Marines and National Guard forces were deployed to Los Angeles by the federal administration over objections from local and state officials.
The MacArthur Park incident highlights the strength of federal immigration enforcement in California, which has the largest immigrant population in the United States. According to the California Institute of Public Policy, 10.6 million immigrants live in the state, with 55% of them documented. According to a survey by the USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute, Los Angeles alone has around 3.6 million immigrant residents.
As of June 15, ICE had detained 56,397 individuals nationwide, of which more than 71% have no criminal history, according to data from Syracuse University’s transaction record Access Clearinghouse.
Despite the manifestation of force at MacArthur Park, federal officials have not provided a formal statement regarding the purpose, consequences or necessity of Monday’s operation. Meanwhile, both Newsom and Bass have revealed their intention to resist what they characterize as a politically driven effort to threaten immigrant communities.
“We have your back,” Newsom said, “and we will continue to do what we can to protect our diverse communities, protecting the spirit that defines the best of this city and our state.”
When contacted by the KTLA to comment, a senior official from the Department of Homeland Security responded simply, “I will not comment on the ongoing enforcement projects.”
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