Bass Calls Trump’s Troop Deployment to LA Park ‘Un-American’

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s deployment of U.S. troops and federal immigration agents to MacArthur Park, calling it an outrageous and “un-American” show of force that she said was designed to provoke fear.

On Monday, about 90 National Guard troops and dozens of federal immigration officers deployed armored vehicles and tactical gear at MacArthur Park for roughly an hour, prompting campers to be escorted indoors, though no arrests were reported. Video shared by Bass showed uniformed troops and mounted law enforcement walking in tight formation across the soccer fields.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the troops were sent “to ensure the safety of federal agents” and establish a security perimeter. Officials declined to give more details about what prompted the show of force or what the results were.

At a press conference, Bass said the operation was part of Trump’s broader political agenda to intimidate immigrant communities and to distract from deeper issues. “Frankly, it is outrageous and un-American that we have federal armed vehicles in our parks when nothing is going on,” Bass told reporters. “It’s outrageous and un-American that the federal government seized our state’s National Guard. It’s outrageous and un-American that we have U.S. Marines who are trained to kill foreign soldiers overseas deployed in our American city.”

The operation is part of a larger crackdown that began after protests erupted June 6 in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Since early June, President Trump has federalized over 4,000 California National Guard troops and deployed about 700 Marines to Los Angeles in support of immigration enforcement efforts.

Bass emphasized that the action displaced innocent families. “What happened to the criminals, the drug dealers, the violent individuals?” she asked. “Who was in the park today were children. It was their summer camp.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom also criticized the deployment, describing it as “disgraceful” and “political theater.” He argued that the operation was timed to send a message and stoke fear. “That’s the message from the polluted heart of the president of the United States,” Newsom said. He also pointed a finger at Stephen Miller, Trump’s policy advisor, accusing him of helping orchestrate the display.

Despite criticism, the Trump administration has defended the decision as necessary to protect law enforcement. But for Bass and other California leaders, the presence of armed troops in a public park represented something much darker: a dangerous erosion of civil norms in pursuit of political goals.