LOS ANGELES — U.S. military troops and federal immigration officers made a brief but mighty show of force Monday at a Los Angeles park in a neighborhood dubbed the ''Ellis Island of the West Coast" for its large immigrant population.
The operation left local officials and organizers with many questions. Here is a look at what we know.
What happened and was anyone arrested?
About 90 National Guard troops and dozens of federal officers descended on MacArthur Park in the morning. But it was nearly empty, since word spread of a potential raid. Mayor Karen Bass said she pulled over on her way to City Hall to witness officers on horseback and soldiers in tactical gear walking past a playground as children at a summer day camp were rushed indoors so they would not be traumatized.
The troops and officers left after about an hour.
The Department of Homeland Security did not say whether anyone was arrested. Associated Press journalists who arrived as the troops and agents entered the park did not see anyone detained. Some activists showed up to take videos and record the scene.
When asked about the appearance in MacArthur Park, the DHS said in an email that the agency would not comment on ''ongoing enforcement operations.'' The Defense Department referred all questions to DHS.
Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom called it a political stunt and spectacle meant to intimidate the city's immigrant communities.