Federal agents conducted a major immigration enforcement operation Monday in downtown Los Angeles, drawing public protest from the city’s mayor, who appeared at the scene urging officers to leave. Authorities moved into the MacArthur Park area with a substantial presence that included agents on horseback and other law-enforcement personnel.
The mayor confronted officers at the site and pressed for an immediate end to the activity, telling them the operation was “unacceptable” and demanding they depart. Local onlookers and protesters gathered quickly as officers carried out the operation, while footage circulating on social media showed tense exchanges at the perimeter.
The raid follows recent unrest in the city tied to anti-immigration-enforcement demonstrations. Tensions intensified after a high-profile news conference in Los Angeles involving federal officials, during which a U.S. senator was escorted out amid a disturbance. Federal officials have since said that enforcement operations will continue in Los Angeles and other cities.
Officials described the latest action as one of the largest federal immigration efforts in the area to date. As the scene unfolded, questions mounted about how far enforcement activity will extend and how city and federal authorities will handle ongoing disputes over sanctuary-city policies.
