BREAKING: LA Mayor Karen Bass confronts ICE agents in MacArthur Park during apparent immigration raid

The operation took place roughly two miles west of downtown Los Angeles and is drawing attention due to the size of the force involved. The operation, carried out in a city park, included 17 Humvees, four tactical vehicles, two ambulances, and armed National Guard soldiers, according to defense officials who briefed reporters under condition of anonymity.

The officials insisted the action was not a formal military operation. “It’s just going to be more overt and larger than we usually participate in,” one of the officials said.

Fox News' Bill Melugin spoke to Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, who said when asked if he had a message for Bass: “I don’t work for Karen Bass. Better get used to us now, cause this is going to be normal very soon. We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles.”

"This is footage from today in MacArthur Park," Bass posted. "Minutes before, there were more than 20 kids playing — then, the MILITARY comes through. 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."

"They need to leave, and they need to leave right now," Bass said.

“They gave ICE a budget bigger than most of the world’s militaries. Instead of investing in housing, jobs, or health care, they’re funding fear — tearing families apart in our neighborhoods. These raids must end," she said after the Big Beautiful Bill passed Congress last week. With the passing of the Big Beautiful Bill last week, $170.7 billion was put toward ICE funding so that the Trump administration can conduct mass deportations.

In a July 6 post, Bass said: ""What is happening in Los Angeles is not normal. It is not normal to send in the National Guard without a request from the governor. It is not normal to conduct indiscriminate raids on our immigrant population. Let LA return to normal. Get the National Guard out," she said."

Los Angeles is a sanctuary city, meaning that local law enforcement agents are prohibited from cooperating with federal law enforcement agents in the area of immigration. When immigration officers attempt to arrest an illegal immigrant criminal, they often encounter other illegal immigrants, who are then taken into custody.

Present in the park are National Guard troops as well as federal law enforcement. The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement to KTLA they are not involved in the federal raids, though officers were present for crowd control.

The Associated Press reports that The National Guard has sent about 90 troops to defend the federal agents.

This is a breaking news story. Refresh for updates.