MacArthur Park, once considered a dangerous area in Los Angeles, is seeing noticeable changes after a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation. The park, known for issues with fentanyl, homelessness, and gang shootings, has become visibly quieter since the raid on July 7.
At 10 a.m. on July 10, the sidewalks around MacArthur Park were empty. Benches that usually held homeless individuals were vacant. Items like butane gas canisters, lighters, syringes, and condoms, once scattered across the ground, were gone. The wet sidewalks and cleaned areas suggested a major cleanup had taken place as the park emptied out.
Four days had passed since ICE agents suddenly arrived at the park. Notices remained on utility poles, warning people that ICE had conducted a raid and advising them to avoid the area. The raid, which instilled fear, appeared to have had unintended positive effects.
Drug users had also disappeared. Before the raid, people under the influence of fentanyl, known as the “zombie drug,” could often be seen bent over in stiff postures. Since the operation, most drug users were gone.
Paul Loredo, a resident near the park, said, “This place used to have homeless people sleeping and drug users walking around without care, but after the raid, the atmosphere changed completely. Now, people are starting to walk their dogs here.”
Enrique Guadalupe, another local enjoying a walk, shared, “In the past few years, this park has never been this quiet. Just days ago, it was dangerous with all kinds of crime. It’s surprising how different it is now.”
Previously, white boxes containing Narcan (a fentanyl antidote) were attached to trees in the park due to the severity of fentanyl overdoses. However, after the raid, those Narcan boxes also disappeared.
Illegal vendors offering services like making “IDs, green cards, and driver’s licenses” were no longer seen around the park.
According to KlipNews, citing federal sources, the July 7 ICE operation included a crackdown on fake IDs. The park was a major hub for counterfeit identification distribution in the western U.S. and a center for illegal immigration and human trafficking activities.
The raid also affected street vendors, many of whom were Hispanic. To avoid the crackdown, most vendors stopped operating, leaving the streets noticeably clearer.
Noah Velez, a staff member at the nearby restaurant Langer’s Deli, said, “There were always vendors here, but now almost all are gone. Since the raid, the neighborhood has become very quiet.”
However, some remain skeptical about the lasting effects. Kim, who runs a business near the park, stated, “MacArthur Park has always had many undocumented immigrants and frequent power struggles among gangs like MS-13. It’s true they all disappeared after the raid, but even when police patrols increased in the past, the gangs returned after some time. I’m worried the same will happen again.”
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
