Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass slams ‘outrageous’ military presence, says city is ‘under siege’

Tensions continue to bubble in Los Angeles following the city’s recent riots, with the mayor personally stepping in to slam the “outrageous...stunt”.

Tensions continue to bubble in Los Angeles following the recent riots that broke out in response to Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

A senior border official said on Monday that federal agents would remain in the Californian capital “until that mission is accomplished”. Their presence has been heavily criticised by the city’s mayor, Karen Bass.

The situation escalated again this week as heavily armed personnel from ICE, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and military units deployed by Mr Trump arrived in force at MacArthur Park.

Officers were seen carrying rifles, patrolling the area on foot, horseback, and in armoured vehicles.

Ms Bass boldly interrupted a scheduled meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom to confront the agents in person, denouncing the show of force as a “political stunt” by the Republicans.

“They need to leave and they need to leave right now!” she shouted, moments after speaking by phone with someone overseeing the operation.

“What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege,” Ms Bass later told reporters. “It’s outrageous and un-American to have armed vehicles in our American parks.”

She reportedly had a brief exchange with CBP Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Kim, who connected her “directly to the head of customs”.

A SUV carrying Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass departs from MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, California on July 7, 2025. Picture: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass walks with a federal agent at MacArthur Park Monday, July 7, 2025, in Los Angeles. Picture: Damian Dovarganes.

She said the agents began to withdraw shortly afterwards.

However, Border Patrol El Centro Sector Chief Gregory Bovino made it clear that federal forces would not be stepping back.

“The federal government is not leaving LA. … The federal government does not work for Karen Bass. We’re going to be here until that mission is accomplished,” Mr Bovino told Fox Los Angeles.

“Better get used to us now because this is going to be normal very soon,” he added.

Ms Bass and members of the Los Angeles City Council criticised the raid for disrupting a children’s summer camp, forcing the children to take shelter in a nearby basement while the operation unfolded.

Health workers from the St. John’s Community Health Center, who provide daily medical checks to homeless people in the park, were also forced to leave.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass arrives at MacArthur Park, where federal agents were staging, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Los Angeles. Picture: AP /Damian Dovarganes)

Ms Bass later took to social media platform X to condemn the operation, posting a time-lapse video showing agents marching across an empty football pitch.

“Minutes before, there were more than 20 kids playing — then, the MILITARY comes through,” she wrote.

“The SECOND I heard about this, I went to the park to speak to the person in charge to tell them it needed to end NOW. Absolutely outrageous.”

It remains unclear whether any arrests were made. According to the Los Angeles Times, local activists had warned people in the park in advance of the sweep.

Ms Bass said the city would challenge the former president’s actions in court, including the use of military-style deployments in Los Angeles. Picture: AFP.

“I think the goal is to spread fear,” Ms Bass said of the raid, reaffirming her commitment to keeping Los Angeles a sanctuary city for migrants.

The Los Angeles Police Department said it had no knowledge of the federal operation at MacArthur Park.

The US Department of Homeland Security stated that it does not comment on ongoing enforcement actions.

Los Angeles has been a flashpoint for Trump-era immigration policy, with the city recently witnessing chaotic raids and public protests.

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the city, accusing it of obstructing immigration enforcement through its sanctuary city stance.

Ms Bass said the city would challenge the former president’s actions in court, including the use of military-style deployments in Los Angeles.

Originally published as Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass slams ‘outrageous’ military presence, says city is ‘under siege’