Immigration agents who flooded a Los Angeles park on Monday said they were there as a “show of force” to protect residents from MS-13 gangbangers and open air drug markets — before they were furiously confronted by Mayor Karen Bass.
The grandstanding Democratic mayor tried to banish the ICE and Border Patrol officials, who descended on MacArthur Park Monday, in a chaotic scene, blasting the operation as “un-American.”
But ICE and Border Patrol sources told The Post that they were there to try and help clean up the park, which has long been plagued by gang activity, homelessness and drug addicts overdosing on fentanyl and animal tranquilizers.
“This pisses me off. She is scared for the kid’s safety … due to immigration officials at the park, but never scared for their safety when the park is filled with homeless, drugs, MS-13 and violence,” a federal law enforcement source fumed.
“Make it make sense,” they added.
“That park is very famous, but full of druggies, homeless and people selling fake documents,” said another fed source, adding that Bass “wants to stay relevant, but we’re not going anywhere.”
Last August, Bass visited the park after the owner of Langer’s Deli, Norm Langer, threatened to shut the doors of his popular eatery after almost 80 years in business due to safety concerns, the LA Times reported.
The mayor even admitted she was aware of businesses in the area having to “essentially pay gang members” in order to stay open.
“I’m not an attorney, but it sounds like extortion to me, and it needs to be addressed immediately,” she said at the time.
A local security guard also told the LA Times that he often faces violent interactions with drug addicts — and carries Narcan in his pocket to revive overdose victims.
“I’ve had knives pulled on me, I’ve had people try to stab me with a screwdriver, and just the other day I got hit with a wooden bat,” Gabriel Sanchez said.
Almost a year after Bass promised to clean up MacArthur Park, she berated the presence of federal law enforcement officers, yelling at the agents on Monday to leave and stop their “political stunt.”
“What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege,” the mayor told reporters following the confrontation.
“It’s outrageous and un-American to have armed vehicles in our American parks.”
Bass said Monday’s operation disrupted a children’s summer camp, which corralled the kids into a nearby basement during the sweep.
Members of the St. John’s Community Health Center, who were conducting their daily checkups with homeless people in the park, were also pushed out, officials said.
“Minutes before, there were more than 20 kids playing — then, the MILITARY comes through,” Bass vented on X, posting a time-lapse video of the agents marching across an empty soccer field inside the park.
“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.
“I think the goal is to spread fear,” Bass added of Monday’s operation, as she vowed to uphold the city’s status as a sanctuary for immigrants.
Bass’ office didn’t immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
