California elected officials say that armed border patrol agents showed up outside Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s event on redistricting in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles on Thursday, in an attempt to intimidate critics of the Trump administration.
Border Patrol was “directed, clearly by the White House, as a political operation to make a point,” Newsom said during an interview following the event, warning that Trump is trying to dismantle democracy in the United States.
“What we saw just a moment ago with Border Patrol is a preview of things to come at voting booths and polling places all across this country,” Newsom said, adding, “there’s a reason members of the Trump team sent me a Trump 2028 hat with a note because they’re not screwing around and we can’t screw around either.”
Among establishment Democrats, Newsom has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of the Trump administration. However, in June he signed a budget that, starting in January, bars new enrollment of undocumented immigrants in the state’s Medicaid program. He’s also been widely criticized for his efforts to criminalize people for being homeless, and for participating in the destruction of an encampment where unhoused people lived.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), who attended Newsom’s event, told NBC4 Los Angeles that “Californians don’t get intimidated, not that easy.” (Earlier this year, Secret Service officers physically removed Padilla from a press conference when he attempted to ask Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question. He was then forced to the ground and handcuffed.)
“The White House just sent federal agents to try to intimidate elected officials at a press conference,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted on social media following Newsom’s event. “The problem for them is, Los Angeles doesn’t get scared and Los Angeles doesn’t back down. We never have and we never will.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed the officers’ presence had nothing to do with Newsom’s press conference.
“Mayor Bass must be misinformed,” DHS’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs posted on social media. “Our law enforcement operations are about enforcing the law — not about Gavin Newsom. @CBP patrols all areas of Los Angeles every day with over 40 teams on the ground to make LA safe.”
Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino said he was unaware the governor was nearby.
“We’re here making Los Angeles a safer place since we don’t have politicians that will do that,” he told Fox 11. “We do that ourselves, so that’s why we’re here today.”
Before Trump’s second term began, a federal district court judge ruled that an immigration raid led by Bovino was likely unconstitutional, saying, “You just can’t walk up to people with brown skin and say, ‘Give me your papers.’” Bovino had falsely claimed that agents had a “predetermined list of targets.” However, an investigation by CalMatters showed that Border Patrol had no prior knowledge of immigration or criminal history for 77 of the 78 people they arrested.
Border Patrol officers abducted a produce delivery driver outside of Newsom’s press conference, which was held at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles.
“For some reason Angel was taken, but he wasn’t doing anything,” the man’s coworker told KCAL News. “He’s a good person.”
Video shows Bovino playfully slapping the shoulder of an officer who is walking a man in handcuffs away. Bovino then appears to say, “Well done, brother. Excellent. Good job.”
A witness told NBC4 Los Angeles that the man was delivering strawberries when officers stopped him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” she yelled at the officers. “No fucking reason to stop him or question him. Nothing. No fucking words. No warrant was shown. No fucking reason. Just because he looks the part. He looks the part so you guys took him.”
Bovino shared a video of the scene to Instagram and wrote, “What the F Are We Doing? Enforcing U.S. Law… That’s What.”
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