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Mayor Bass Halts Armed Immigration Operation at MacArthur Park

Backed by President Trump’s recent DHS budget boost, the operation drew Mayor Bass’s ire before ending without arrests as pending lawsuits challenge the tactics

Federal agents ride on horseback at MacArthur Park, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Los Angeles. Their uniforms read "Police U.S. Border Patrol," and "HSI," which stands for Homeland Security Investigations. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Federal agents ride on and armored vehicle at MacArthur Park Monday, July 7, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Federal agents at MacArthur Park Monday, July 7, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Gregory K. Bovino, US Border Patrol El Centro Sector Chief, can be seen walking on the scene as a large group of federal law enforcement officers arrive at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, California, on July 7, 2025. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • The July 7 show of force involved about 90 California National Guard soldiers alongside Border Patrol agents using 17 Humvees, four tactical vehicles, horseback units and a DHS helicopter in the Westlake District
  • Mayor Karen Bass personally confronted officers on site, used a Border Patrol phone to demand their departure and saw the contingent clear the park within an hour with no confirmed arrests
  • Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino declared that similar large‐scale raids will become routine in Los Angeles and warned residents to “get used to us now”
  • The foray followed President Trump’s newly signed budget that injected massive funding into the Department of Homeland Security to expand interior deportation operations
  • Immigrant rights advocates and state officials have filed federal suits accusing DHS and Border Patrol of unconstitutional practices and quota‐driven arrests in sanctuary jurisdictions