Armed ICE officers shut down kids' camp at MacArthur Park

[struggle4progress]

... Officials say the show of force disrupted daily life, shuttered children’s programming, and caused widespread confusion — despite no reported criminal activity or public disorder.

What we know:

On July 7, a large contingent of federal agents arrived at MacArthur Park in what appeared to be an ICE enforcement sweep. SkyFOX was overhead during the operation and did not observe anyone being taken into custody. FOX 11 has confirmed that no arrests were made.

Midway through the activity, Mayor Karen Bass arrived on scene and questioned the agents directly. A conversation with a representative identified on the scene as the "Head of Customs" led to a phone call in which Bass asked, "So they’ve stopped that? They’ve completed their mission here? What’s the timeframe before they leave?"

Soon after, the agents began pulling out. The show of force quickly dissipated, with federal vehicles departing the area and no visible enforcement action taken ...

https://www.foxla.com/news/karen-bass-confronts-ice-la-after-massive-macarthur-park-show-force-no-arrests

[struggle4progress]

1. ACLU Statement

... News reports and recorded videos showed that there were horses and armored vehicles and that the federal agents were carrying weapons and tactical gear. The display comes after weeks of masked federal agents unlawfully abducting and disappearing immigrants.

In response, Chandra Bhatnagar, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California, issued the following statement:  

“What happened in MacArthur Park was unacceptable and unnecessary. All Angelinos should be able to gather in public places free from intimidation and harassment, and no one should be afraid to go out in public because of the color of our skin or the language that we speak.

Mayor Bass rightly said that it was outrageous and un-American to have heavily armed vehicles in our parks. We at the ACLU will be monitoring the deployment of federal troops to ensure that the constitutional rights of all members of our community are respected.”  

https://www.aclusocal.org/en/press-releases/aclu-statement-heavily-armed-troops-macarthur-park

[Jack Valentino]

2. Simple "terror tactics" to intimidate the population....

[DFW]

3. Federal agents, yo' mama. Undeputized contractors, maybe?

These guys never seem to have ID, warrants, or a chain of command they are willing to admit to in public. The mayor of L.A. showing up with an armed force of her own, especially with ID and legitimate authority, is what stopped the attack. More of that is needed, weapons unholstered if need be.

[Arazi]

4. The cruelty (and terror) is the point

The officers involved love reports like this.

Mission accomplished!