Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park, a green oasis amid the urban chaos, became a battleground for the escalating conflict between California state officials and the Trump administration last week when approximately 100 soldiers clad in tactical gear, along with federal officers on horseback, marched through the park in broad daylight, even as children looked on.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed outrage at the display, characterizing it as an attempt to instill fear in the community and reassert federal dominance over the city.
“This absolutely outrageous stunt was meant to ‘put the city in its place’,” Bass stated over the weekend.
“You have the federal government that has seized power from a governor and is attempting to seize authority and power in a city,” she added, emphasizing that Los Angeles appears to be a test case for broader federal immigration initiatives.
Over the past six weeks, California has found itself at the forefront of President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement policies, which have included ICE agents conducting raids at various locations like car washes, textile factories, farms, and retailers like Home Depot.
These operations have ignited protests across the state, leading to clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement officials. Although the intensity of these protests has slightly diminished, they continue to resonate throughout the city.
The latest raids saw ICE agents arresting 361 individuals at two cannabis farms, one of whom, 57-year-old Jaime Alanis, suffered severe injuries after falling from a roof and later died in the hospital, marking the first known death attributed to these enforcement actions.
While the Trump administration asserts that the crackdown targets violent criminals, the reality on the ground in Los Angeles indicates a broader-reaching agenda that risks affecting anyone suspected of being in the country unlawfully.
Last Friday, a judge ordered the federal government to halt what was termed “indiscriminate” immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles, while a legal dispute is settled in the courts.
In response to the injunction, the administration filed an appeal on Monday, contending that the order appeared to be an unlawful attempt to impose judicial supervision over federal immigration enforcement.
Tom Homan, a hardline official within ICE and a former Border Patrol officer, explained the agency’s rationale for detaining individuals suspected of illegal status, sharing that agents need only demonstrate “reasonable suspicion” rather than “probable cause.”
He elaborated that reasonable suspicion could stem from a variety of indicators such as a person’s appearance, behavior, or even their occupation and locality, though he emphasized that physical appearance alone could not justify detention.
The situation in Los Angeles illustrates a unique dynamic where a city and state openly defy the federal government, a scenario unfamiliar to many Australians.
As a designated sanctuary city, LA does not proactively support immigration enforcement, adhering instead to Special Order 40, which has been in place since 1979 and limits police inquiries regarding immigration status.
Bass, along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, has voiced strong resistance to what they characterize as a politically charged attack from the Trump administration against progressive policies in California.
On the other hand, the federal government, represented by Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House, has described LA’s resistance as tantamount to insurrection.
Miller stated, “Los Angeles is waging insurrection against the federal government,” as Bass unveiled an executive order designed to protect local officials from ICE raids at public places and to educate residents about their rights.
In an additional measure, Los Angeles is facilitating cash assistance cards for families impacted by ICE raids, with estimates suggesting each card will provide around $200.
Funds for these cards will come from philanthropic sources rather than local government budgets.
The raid activities have had a profound effect on the city of Los Angeles, where nearly half of its 3.8 million residents are Latino.
Post-raid, streets in the once-bustling garment district have fallen silent, and many fear even the simple task of washing their cars—predominantly done by migrant workers—has become a risky endeavor due to fears of apprehension.
Mayor Bass expressed skepticism over federal claims that illegal drug cartels are operating from local car washes, asserting that masked agents have been jumping from unmarked vehicles to forcibly detain individuals on the streets.
“People have been terrorised and terrified. People don’t leave home,” she said in an interview.
In contrast, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) portrays the raids as necessary law enforcement actions.
DHS reported that the majority of those arrested during the cannabis farm raids were undocumented migrants, some of whom had previous convictions for serious crimes, including rape, kidnapping, and child molestation.
The ongoing raids also raise critical concerns about the precarious situation faced by migrant workers who are frequently integral to California’s economy but often operate under the radar, residing in stables of exploitation within various sectors.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin noted that during one of the raids, agents discovered 14 minors working at the cannabis farms, including ten who were unaccompanied, underscoring the risk of exploitation and potential human trafficking.
The tragic case of Jaime Alanis, the man who was severely injured during a cannabis farm raid, reveals the dark ramifications of these operations. Initially reported to be in critical condition, it was later confirmed through a GoFundMe update that he had succumbed to his injuries. His family described the raid as reckless, pointing to the urgent need for a reevaluation of the methods employed by federal agencies in such operations.
image source from：smh
