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2w ago

ICE’s Militarized MacArthur Park Operation Ends After Mayor Bass Confrontation

With 90 National Guard members in Humvees supporting ICE, the operation spotlighted deep conflicts over troop use in domestic immigration enforcement.

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U.S. Marines protect the U.S. Customs and Border Protector cars while they leave the Edward R. Roybal Federal and Detention Center building during a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and the presence of the U.S. military in civilian spaces on July 4, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
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Overview

  • About 90 California National Guard troops in Humvees and tactical vehicles shielded ICE officers during Monday’s MacArthur Park sweep, though no arrests were confirmed.
  • Mayor Karen Bass arrived on site, demanded federal agents leave immediately and secured their withdrawal by late morning.
  • Defense officials said Guard members were authorized only to protect immigration officers from hostile crowds and could not make arrests, a role now challenged in state lawsuits under the Posse Comitatus Act.
  • The show of force intensified fear across immigrant neighborhoods, triggering widespread business closures, canceled doctor appointments and a drop in public transit use.
  • The July 7 raid follows early June sweeps that detained over 1,600 people—69 percent without criminal records—and adds to ongoing legal battles by the ACLU and California leaders over racial profiling and troop deployments.