Fear Grips MacArthur Park Amid Immigration Raids \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Federal agents and National Guard troops briefly swept through MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, prompting fear and swift flight among undocumented immigrants. Los Angeles officials accuse the Trump administration of staging the operation to intimidate immigrant communities. The city, led by Mayor Karen Bass, is joining a lawsuit challenging the alleged use of “terror tactics.”
Quick Looks
- Early Monday: megaphones warned of ICE activity at the park.
- Authorities arrived with guns, horses, and armored vehicles.
- Park vendors vanished; only citizens remained playing cards.
- DHS declined to disclose goals or arrests from the action.
- Los Angeles is suing the Trump administration over tactics used.
- The park is dubbed “Ellis Island of the West Coast.”
- Vendors and undocumented immigrants report drastic drop in business.
- Local activist groups mobilized volunteers to monitor early raids.
Deep Look
MacArthur Park, an immigrant hub in Los Angeles, descended into fear and chaos Monday morning when federal agents—accompanied by National Guard troops mounted on horses and backed by armored vehicles—streamed through the area in a surprise operation. Witnesses say the presence of heavily armed personnel created a sense of martial law rather than routine enforcement.
Hector Velasquez, a U.S. citizen playing cards with friends, recalls the surreal scene. “A young man with a megaphone came through shouting ‘federal agents are coming’—then another guy drove by saying, ‘Immigration is coming!’” He and other legal residents stayed, while undocumented friends scattered into side streets.
By the time authorities swept through, vendors had disappeared and activists had already warned locals via social media. The operation concluded as abruptly as it began, prompting Velasquez to compare it to warfare: “Only in war do you see tanks,” he said, feeling transported back to strife in El Salvador.
The Department of Homeland Security refused to comment, citing confidentiality around enforcement operations. Meanwhile, L.A. officials are denouncing the move as a tactic aimed at terrorizing immigrant communities. Mayor Karen Bass announced that the city will join a federal lawsuit, condemning the operation as an abuse of federal power that creates an atmosphere of fear.
“They are essentially pressing the envelope to see how far the American public will tolerate the federal seizure of power,” Bass said, calling the event “random” and “designed to create terror.”
MacArthur Park: Immigrant Meeting Place Under Siege
Located two miles from downtown L.A., MacArthur Park is densely packed with taco stands, clothing vendors, family picnickers, and soccer players—a vibrant cross-section of immigrant life. Yet in recent months, park activity has slowed considerably. Fencing erected after a January shooting and the recent wave of immigration enforcement at workplaces and courts have emptied sidewalks and stalled local commerce.
Vendors like Fernando Rodriguez report drastic revenue declines. He closed his shop Monday after rumors circulated about planned immigration sweeps. “You look Latino, they take you,” he said. “Even if you show papers… they say they’re fake. What they’re doing is evil.”
Jorge‑Mario Cabrera, from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said allies mobilized volunteers with Signal, stationed throughout the park from 6 a.m., to monitor activity. He described the operation as a “reality show to intimidate,” emotionally echoing martial surveillance tactics used abroad: “This was an attempt to show the administration’s military might…caus[ing] chaos and fear.”
Escalating Military Involvement
Roughly 4,000 California National Guard members and hundreds of Marines were deployed as part of ongoing Trump-era immigration efforts in L.A., despite protests from Governor Gavin Newsom. Though about 200 of those troops have since been reassigned to wildfire response, remnants remain active in city streets. The display of force follows the president’s pledge to deport “millions” of undocumented immigrants.
One vendor, Melisa Doag, an undocumented Guatemalan who sells jewelry near MacArthur, expressed her fear. She said she plans to leave the U.S. on her own terms, rather than risk deportation. “I don’t want to be treated as a criminal,” she stated.
Ramifications and Local Response
- City legal resistance: L.A. filed suit demanding an end to suspect enforcement tactics.
- Community paralysis: vendors report near-empty crowds, softening local economy.
- Psychological impact: suburban residents fear surveillance and targeting.
- Enforcement backlash: shelters and community centers brace for surge in need.
For Velasquez, the park remains more than a community space—it’s a test of how far America will let enforcement tactics intrude. He now only plays cards there with citizens, waiting to see whether MacArthur Park becomes a symbol of immigrant resistance or acquiescence under pressure.
Fear Grips MacArthur Fear Grips MacArthur
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