Los Angeles leaders say the Trump administration has no interest in making the city safer by arresting undocumented criminals. Instead, they accuse federal agents of carrying out an immigration raid in a park for clicks and views on social media.
“This morning looked like a staging for a TikTok video,” said City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. “If you want to film in L.A., you should apply for a film permit like everybody else.”
Harris-Dawson made the comment during a news conference at city hall on Monday, July 7.
He was joined by Mayor Karen Bass, who ripped the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“There is no plan other than fear, chaos and politics — Home Depot one day, a car wash the next day, armed vehicles and what looked like mounted military units in a park the next day,” Bass said about the administration.
Related: California Politician Faces Scrutiny for Urging Gangs to Confront ICE
Earlier in the day, the mayor confronted federal agents gathered in and around MacArthur Park in the Westlake District, a predominantly-Latino neighborhood a few blocks west of downtown L.A.
Agents descended on the park in tanks, SUVs, and on horseback. After obviously tipping off the media, they cleared the area in full view of TV news helicopters flying overhead, and news crews on the ground in the park.
The heavily armed agents wore vests that said Border Patrol.
Bass arrived with staffers and demanded to speak with someone in charge. An agent handed her a phone, and the operation ended a few minutes after Bass ended the call.
Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino later told Fox News he was the official who spoke with Bass on the phone.
“I don’t work for Karen Bass,” Bovino said. “Better get used to us now, because this is going to be normal very soon. We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles.”
Back at the park, residents told local station KCAL News the military-style raid was upsetting.
“I don’t understand, I don’t like it,” one man said.
“It felt like a war zone,” another man added.
Several outreach workers were at the park to assist the homeless, and criticized agents for threatening behavior.
“They pointed guns at us, they surrounded our van,” a female outreach worker said.
“They were screaming at us to get the f–k out of there,” added another outreach worker.
A furious Bass called for the raids to stop and said the city plans to file lawsuits.
“To me this is another example of the administration ratcheting up chaos by deploying what looked like a military operation in an American city,” the mayor said.
Watch the local news report below:
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