California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted the presence of Border Patrol agents outside a downtown Los Angeles rally, calling it “pretty sick and pathetic.”
The Democratic governor, seen as a likely contender for the White House in 2028, suggested the move came directly from President Donald Trump.
“It was top down. You know that for a fact. They’ll deny it—well, maybe they won’t deny it,” Newsom told reporters following a press conference on California’s redistricting efforts.
Newsweek has reached out to Newsom’s office and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.
Why It Matters
Newsom, a high-profile progressive, has increasingly cast himself as a leading critic of Trump’s immigration agenda.
On Thursday, Border Patrol agents arrived in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, just steps from a press event where Newsom and other state leaders were outlining their challenge to Texas’ redistricting plans. At least one individual was detained during the operation.
The action was part of a larger immigration enforcement push across Los Angeles and Southern California, in line with Trump’s pledge of mass deportations. Federal officials point to arrests of undocumented immigrants with serious criminal convictions, but others caught up in the sweeps include asylum-seekers, visa overstayers, green card holders, and migrants still awaiting court hearings.
What To Know
While Newsom was speaking inside the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Border Patrol agents detained at least one person outside.
Video showed agents in tactical gear leading a handcuffed individual through the crowd.
Newsom used the moment to criticize Trump directly, telling the audience: “Right outside, at this exact moment, there are dozens and dozens of ICE agents.”
The operation immediately drew criticism from Democratic leaders.
“This is just completely unacceptable,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. “This is a Customs and Border Patrol that has gone amok. This absolutely has to stop. There was no danger here.”
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin disputed Bass’ comments in a post on X, writing: “Our law enforcement operations are about enforcing the law—not about Gavin Newsom.”
Border Patrol Sector Commander Gregory Bovino told Fox 11 Los Angeles: “We’re here making Los Angeles a safer place. Since we won’t have politicians that will do that, we do that ourselves.”
State Senator María Elena Durazo condemned the show of force, telling Newsweek: “What we witnessed today outside the Democracy Center in Little Tokyo was nothing short of political theater—a weaponization of federal law enforcement against the legislative process and against democracy itself.”
She added: “The timing was no coincidence. Border Patrol agents showing up with zip ties and military-style gear just feet away from elected officials exercising their constitutional duties is a brazen act of intimidation.”
The Political Context
The confrontation unfolded as California Democrats pushed forward with their own redistricting plan. Under the proposal, Democrats aim to pick up five additional House seats in the 2026 election.
Newsom has called for a special election on November 4 to allow voters to weigh in on the maps. Lawmakers are expected to formally schedule the election next week, according to the Associated Press.
The move counters Texas Republicans, who are working to add five congressional seats of their own in the midterms.
What People Are Saying
Newsom told reporters Thursday: “They chose the time, manner and place to send their district director outside right when we’re about to have this press conference—everything you know about Donald Trump’s America … about the authoritarian tendencies of the president.”
Durazo echoed that view, saying: “This administration is using immigration enforcement as a tool of political repression, targeting communities and silencing dissent. When federal agents conduct ‘roving patrols’ outside press conferences where governors and legislators are discussing the state of our democracy, we are witnessing the tactics of authoritarianism, not law enforcement.”
What Happens Next
Tensions between Newsom and Trump have escalated in recent months. After protests erupted in Los Angeles in June following immigration raids, Trump deployed the National Guard. Newsom responded with a lawsuit challenging the deployment, and a ruling is still pending.
