Someone Left My Cake Out In The Rain

ICE raided MacArthur Park to look for it, but failed. Sad.

Federal immigration agents near MacArthur Park in the Westlake area on Monday. (Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)

Please watch this video, posted on Xitter by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.

It’s sad, really. All those guns, horses, camo…and they still couldn’t find the cake.

(For the youth, or anyone who doesn’t remember the song, here’s the scoop.)

BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS…

• “Immigration agents in military green surrounded MacArthur Park as the convoy readied for a show of force akin to a Hollywood movie. They came with horses and armored vehicles, carrying rifles and in tactical gear in the middle of what is the heart of immigrant Los Angeles. But there were few of their supposed targets to be found Monday — immigrants without documentation. Since at least Sunday, rumors had spread about an operation at the park. Fliers were plastered around the area, warning that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or la migra as they’re also known, were coming. It’s unclear if anyone was arrested during the sweep.” - L.A. Times, July 7, 2025.

• “Border Patrol El Centro sector chief Gregory Bovino … told Fox News: "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." - Newsweek, July 8, 2025.

• “A large federal enforcement sweep stalled a children’s summer camp at MacArthur Park without any arrests. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and city council members say this display of force has raised urgent questions about how immigration enforcement affects communities—and they’re calling on cities nationwide to wake up, wise up, and stand up without panic. LA leaders warn this moment could ripple across America unless we respond with accountability, not fear.” - Fox 11, July 7, 2025.

• “Aerial images from SkyFOX showed several agents surrounding the famed park at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and S. Alvarado Street around 10:45 a.m.

  A black Department of Homeland Security helicopter was seen overhead, while agents on the ground were in armored vehicles, unmarked white vans, and on horseback. … [Mayor Bass] explained a group of children were there as part of their summer camp program before federal agents moved in. "In my opinion, it's a political agenda of invoking fear and terror," she said. "No plan other than fear, chaos, and politics." Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson also made remarks and said, "We need ICE out of LA, now." - Fox 11, July 7, 2025.

• “Eunisses Hernandez, an LA city council member … said the Trump administration had chosen the park “because of who lives there and what it represents: resilience, diversity and the American dream”. She added: “Please understand that what’s happening here in the city of Los Angeles, we are the canary in the coal mine. What you see happening in MacArthur Park is coming to you … So wake up.” - The Times, July 8, 2025.

• [L.A. City] Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said, ““This morning looked like the staging for a TikTok video … [a]nd what we say to Border Patrol as the Council, if you want to film in L.A., you should apply for a film permit like everybody else and stop trying to scare the bejesus out of everybody in this great city.” - KTLA, July 7, 2025.

MORE GATOR GITMO NEWS:

• “Today, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava sent letters to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Florida Attorney General, expressing concern and urging greater transparency about the alarming number of deaths and medical emergencies at immigration detention centers in Florida and nationwide. Mayor Levine Cava also formally requested monitoring access to the state-run site dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” including site reports and video monitoring, given that the County is the property owner. “Although the federal government has declared their focus is on removing violent criminals and returning them to their home countries, continued reports offer a stark contrast to this mission – national data shows the majority of those in ICE custody today have no criminal convictions, and 93% have no violent record,” wrote Mayor Levine Cava. “We are particularly troubled by reports of dangerous conditions at ICE facilities nationwide and of multiple deaths that have occurred in federal facilities in our community, and the TNT site is further located in a remote area with poor access to hospitals and emergency services creating additional challenges. Given our land ownership of the site, we believe our request for monitoring access is warranted.” Read the letters here. " - Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, July 8, 2025.

All of which is to say, Wake Up, America!

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And remember: “In 1938, the blues and folk singer Lead Belly first used the phrase “stay woke” in a song to stay alert to the dangers of racial injustice.”

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