Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass directly intervened in a heavily armed federal operation at MacArthur Park on July 7, 2025, demanding that ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents withdraw from the sanctuary city neighborhood. Around ninety National Guard and federal agents, including mounted officers and armored vehicles, had descended on the park early Monday morning in what they described as an immigration enforcement sweep aimed at undocumented individuals and gang-related crime. No arrests were recorded during the sweep.
Bass learned that a children’s summer camp was operating in the park minutes before the raid. She rushed to the scene during a policy meeting with Governor Gavin Newsom and confronted agents, demanding to know why they were present and when they would leave. With media present, she aired a real-time plea, declaring, “They need to leave and they need to leave right now because this is unacceptable!” She later posted video footage on social media showing kids playing moments before federal forces moved in.
Federal officials defended the operation as necessary to enforce immigration laws and combat issues like MS‑13 gang influence and drug activity. Border Patrol leadership stated that the federal presence would remain “until that mission is accomplished,” and emphasized that the federal government does not answer to the mayor.
Bass described the event as cruel, chaotic, and un-American, calling it a political stunt and a continuation of aggressive sanctuary-city crackdowns. Governor Newsom echoed her sentiment, calling the deployment a disgrace and a threat to civil liberties.
Local advocates described the raid as a show of force designed to intimidate immigrant communities. The park emptied out in fear, and healthcare workers serving the homeless fled the area.
This raid came after a wave of similar federal enforcement actions earlier in June, which included workplace and school-area raids across Los Angeles. The city’s sanctuary policies sparked protests, curfews, and clashes between ICE, the National Guard, LAPD, and residents.
In response to the July action, Mayor Bass partnered with the City Attorney and joined regional leaders to file legal challenges against what they deem unconstitutional federal behavior. They assert that using military-style equipment and undeclared raids violates residents’ rights and vow to continue fighting.
Mayor Bass’s stance has drawn criticism from federal supporters, who accuse her of impeding enforcement, while others applaud her defence of due process and immigrant safety. The LAPD confirmed it played no role in federal operations, reinforcing the division between local and federal enforcement.
As federal raids continue, Los Angeles authorities vow to uphold their sanctuary status and protect residents through legal and policy means. The incident underscores deepening conflict between federal immigration authorities and sanctuary-city local governments over power, public safety, and civil rights.