Federal agents gathered Monday on streets near MacArthur Park in Los Angeles’ Westlake area before leaving the area in armored vehicles, SUVs and vans.
Details about why the agents in tactical gear were at the park west of downtown Los Angeles were not immediately available. At least 100 federal agents, including U.S. Border Patrol and other law enforcement officers in armored vehicles, were seen on nearby streets, witnesses told NBCLA.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was briefly seen at the site in a crowd of people, including a few protesters holding signs. Bass appeared to get into a vehicle that left the area.
She was asked by a reporter what the city is going to do about the federal law enforcement presence at the park.
“You wait and see,” Bass said. “They will be leaving soon.”
Bass was expected to join Gov. Gavin Newsom at a news conference later Monday morning in Pasadena about the recovery process following the Los Angeles area wildfires.
It was not immediately clear whether anyone was taken into custody. The agents left the area as a small crowd grew in size with some people walking behind the armored vehicles as they moved slowly out of the neighborhood.
NBCLA has reached out to federal authorities for details.
The law enforcement activity comes after weeks of immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles that led to protests in the downtown area. Raids and operations have been carried out at car washes, home improvement store parking lots and other businesses, and in residential neighborhoods.
Last week, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit that claims LA is obstructing immigration enforcement operations through its sanctuary city policies. Bass said the city will continue to defend its policies and ordinances.
The vast majority of resulting protests have been in part of downtown Los Angeles near federal buildings, including a federal detention center. Marines and federalized National Guard troops were sent to LA by the Trump administration over objections from state and local leaders and remain in the area, primarily at federal properties.