Armed ICE officers shut down kids' camp at LA's MacArthur Park. City leaders: 'Here's the truth'

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5 hours ago

The Brief
A large federal immigration operation with armored vehicles and mounted officers took place in MacArthur Park, but resulted in no arrests.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass intervened directly on scene, demanding federal agents leave the park immediately.
The reason for the significant show of force with no arrests remains officially unknown, with federal authorities declining to comment.
LOS ANGELES - A large federal enforcement sweep stalled a children's summer camp at MacArthur Park without any arrests. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and city council members say this display of force has raised urgent questions about how immigration enforcement affects communities—and they're calling on cities nationwide to wake up, wise up, and stand up without panic.
LA leaders warn this moment could ripple across America unless we respond with accountability, not fear.
Officials say the show of force disrupted daily life, shuttered children's programming, and caused widespread confusion — despite no reported criminal activity or public disorder.
What we know
On July 7, a large contingent of federal agents arrived at MacArthur Park in what appeared to be an ICE enforcement sweep. SkyFOX was overhead during the operation and did not observe anyone being taken into custody. FOX 11 has confirmed that no arrests were made.
Midway through the activity, Mayor Karen Bass arrived on scene and questioned the agents directly. A conversation with a representative identified on the scene as the "Head of Customs" led to a phone call in which Bass asked, "So they've stopped that? They've completed their mission here? What's the timeframe before they leave?"
Soon after, the agents began pulling out. The show of force quickly dissipated, with federal vehicles departing the area and no visible enforcement action taken.
What they're saying
Mayor Bass made her position clear in a statement to FOX 11: "They need to leave — and they need to leave right now. This is unacceptable." She also shared her reaction on social media, tweeting: "This is footage from today in MacArthur Park. Minutes before, there were more than 20 kids playing — then, the MILITARY comes through. The SECOND I heard about this, I went to the park to speak to the person in charge to tell them it needed to end NOW. Absolutely outrageous."
When FOX 11 reached out to federal officials, a senior DHS official said: "We don't comment on ongoing enforcement operations."
Local perspective
While en route to a press conference with Gov. Gavin Newsom to mark six months since the Palisades and Eaton fires, Bass said she was alerted to what appeared to be a large-scale federal operation underway at MacArthur Park. "I turned around, we went to the park," Bass said. "I could see a helicopter in the air — I think it was a Black Hawk helicopter. And I saw military tanks. It was the Customs and Border Patrol, and it might have been military on the periphery."
Bass said the scene resembled a military intervention, calling it "another example of the administration ratcheting up chaos by deploying what looked like a military operation in an American city." She described the deployment as "outrageous and un-American," particularly pointing to the presence of "federal armed vehicles in our parks when nothing is going on," the "seizure" of California's National Guard, and "U.S. Marines who are trained to kill foreign soldiers overseas" being "deployed in our American city."
"There is no plan other than fear, chaos, and politics," she said, calling the incident part of a broader pattern of intimidation: "Home Depot one day, a car wash the next, armed vehicles and what looked like mounted military units in a park the next day."
Bass emphasized that there was no threat at the park — only children attending summer camp. "What happened to the criminals, the drug dealers, the violent individuals?" she asked. "Who were in the park today were children. It was their summer day camp. Those kids now have no activities. They were ushered inside so that they didn't get exposed to the troops that were walking in formation across their playground area."
She recounted speaking with an eight-year-old boy who, without being told what was happening, expressed fear of ICE. "Did this eight-year-old tell me that he was afraid of ICE taking his parents, and he didn't think it was good to take people away? So understand that that eight-year-old knows enough of what's going on that he's already traumatized in anticipation."
"What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation," Bass said. "Spending many years traveling into conflict areas — you know, it's the way a city looks before a coup."
Calling it a "military assault on our city," she accused Customs and Border Protection of "randomly driving through the streets, snatching people," often without identification. "There were no protests. There was no disorder that required that," Bass said. "I just think it's important that we continue to tell the truth to the American people."
Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President of the Los Angeles City Council, criticized the federal operation, saying, "This morning looked like a staging for a TikTok video. And what we say to Border Patrol is: if you want to film in L.A., you should apply for a film permit like everybody else — and stop trying to scare the bejesus out of everybody who lives in this great city."
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez condemned the federal operation at MacArthur Park as "the latest escalation in the Trump administration's depraved campaign against our city." She described how "the National Guard descended onto MacArthur Park, bringing troops, military weapons and equipment, and armored vehicles to a community park, a community hub, a place where families gather." Hernandez emphasized that the operation took place "while summer camp was in session," forcing "young children... to be ushered into the lower part of one of our buildings" amid "terror taking place in our community."
She called MacArthur Park "the Ellis Island of the West Coast," saying it was "chosen as this administration's latest target precisely because of who lives there and what it represents: resilience, diversity, and the American dream." Hernandez warned, "When we invade and surveil our own neighborhoods, when we scapegoat and demonize immigrants, when we disregard due process, we are no longer living under the rule of democracy. We are living under occupation and authoritarianism."
Hernandez criticized the federal tactics: "Sending United States soldiers to intimidate children at camp and seeing others at the bus stop is not making anyone safer. Raiding Home Depots is not stopping crime. Tearing families away from children is not upholding family values." She called the cruelty "the point," and vowed that Los Angeles "will continue to resist... demand the immediate withdrawal of federal troops and ICE in our city."
She issued a warning beyond Los Angeles: "We are the canary in the coal mine. What you see happening in MacArthur Park is coming to you. A $140 billion new budget for ICE — what do you think that's going to do? That's going to transport what's happening here in our neighborhoods to your front doorstep."
She concluded with a call to action saying, "Please support Los Angeles, please support California, but also we need to work together to make sure that authoritarianism doesn't take over our country."
During outreach at MacArthur Park, federal agents pointed guns at the team and shouted profanities, forcing them to leave, Maria Soria of the Saint John's Community Health Street Medicine team said. "They pointed a gun at us. They surrounded our van... I thought they were going to actually target us." She added that the situation has made it unsafe to provide medical care to the homeless and immigrant communities.
More than 2,300 Angelenos have been "disappeared and uprooted from their homes and communities" since the federal government began its operation nearly a month ago, according to Jeanette Zani Patton, director of policy and advocacy at True LA.
The other side
According to Fox News, the CBP official Bass spoke with on the phone was Chief Gregory Bovino of the agency's El Centro Sector. Bovino told Fox News, "I don't work for Karen Bass. Better get used to us now, cause this is going to be normal very soon. We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles."
What we don't know
At this time, there was no official explanation as to why such a large presence was deployed if no arrests were made. Federal authorities have not released further details on the nature or scope of the operation.
Why you should care
The operation brought heavily armed federal agents into a public park with no prior public notice — and ended with no reported enforcement. It drew attention not only because of its scale, but because of where it happened: a dense, residential area with families and children present.
The mayor's immediate response raised questions about communication between local and federal agencies, and what protocols are followed in situations like this. It also underscored the scrutiny that large-scale federal operations now face when carried out in public spaces.
Big picture view
Federal officials have not clarified the purpose or outcome of the MacArthur Park operation. Without arrests, the reasoning behind the show of force remains unclear.
The incident has led city leaders and residents to question how immigration enforcement is conducted in Los Angeles, what oversight is in place, and whether community safety protocols are being followed. As federal activity continues in urban areas, moments like this are drawing increased attention — and calls for transparency.
Mayor Bass's rapid response underscored the growing tensions between federal immigration authorities and city leaders who have pushed for transparency and community safety over displays of force.
What's next
FOX 11 is continuing to seek clarity from federal officials on the nature of the operation and whether similar deployments are planned. Mayor Bass has called for further review of the event and its impact on the surrounding community.
The Source
Information for this story was gathered through direct observation by SkyFOX and includes on-the-record statements from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, as well as an unnamed senior DHS official.