As California Governor Gavin Newsom prepared to announce his plan to challenge President Trump’s redistricting initiatives, a significant show of federal force unfolded nearby, causing alarm among attendees and community leaders.
Scores of Border Patrol agents gathered outside the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles, the venue for Newsom’s press conference. Leading the immigration operations in California, Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino made a striking entrance, accompanied by agents clad in helmets and camouflaged gear, carrying weapons while displaying a confident demeanor.
“We’re here making Los Angeles a safer place since we won’t have politicians that’ll do that, we do that ourselves,” Bovino told a Fox 11 reporter, reinforcing his commitment to federal law enforcement despite the governor’s presence.
Newsom’s office quickly reacted to the situation, using social media platform X to announce, “BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!”
This federal operation, described by many as an intimidation tactic, coincided with ongoing discussions about immigration enforcement across the Los Angeles area, which had been subjected to extensive criticism and legal challenges from local officials.
In recent weeks, federal immigration agents have executed a series of raids at various locations, including car washes and Home Depot stores, leading to multiple detentions. Advocates for immigrants had hoped that such actions would cease following a July ruling from a federal judge that was upheld by a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel in August. This ruling explicitly stated that immigration officials cannot engage in racial profiling or employ roving patrols to target immigrants.
During a press conference following the Border Patrol operation, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed her outrage over the agents’ presence. “There’s no way this was a coincidence,” she remarked.
Bass continued, describing the act as a blatant show of disrespect, aimed directly at challenging the authority of the governor. “Why would you do that? That is unbelievably disrespectful, it’s a provocative act,” she stated, emphasizing that the immigration enforcement actions were the source of disorder in the city rather than a solution.
In response to Mayor Bass’s claims, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, denied that the operations were targeted at Newsom, asserting, “Our law enforcement operations are about enforcing the law — not about Gavin Newsom.” She emphasized that U.S. Customs and Border Protection routinely patrol diverse areas of Los Angeles as part of their safety mandate.
The press conference at the Japanese American National Museum was set against the backdrop of Newsom and other Democratic allies launching a campaign for a ballot measure to redraw congressional maps in favor of Democrats ahead of the upcoming 2026 midterms.
William T. Fujioka, chair of the museum’s Board of Trustees, found the timing of the federal agents’ actions deeply concerning. Present at the press conference, he recalled that the location signifies a painful chapter in history, where Japanese Americans were forcibly taken to internment camps during World War II.
Video footage from the scene displayed the tense interaction, capturing federal agents detaining a man in a red shirt and jeans. The man, identified later as Angel, had been making a routine delivery when he was apprehended. Fellow worker Carlos Franco expressed his dismay over the incident, stating, “He was just doing his normal delivery to the courthouse. It’s pretty sad, because I’ve got to go to work tomorrow, and Angel isn’t going to be there.”
Bovino justified the presence of his agents as part of their “roving patrol duties,” asserting that their mission was straightforward: to enforce the law and make the community safer. He commented, “When they break the law, you can expect you’re probably going to get arrested,” indicating that the detainment of Angel was not incidental.
Community leaders and local advocates echoed concerns regarding the legality of the immigration tactics being employed after favorable court rulings. Mayor Bass highlighted the contradiction of the federal administration’s actions, suggesting they breached the temporary restraining order established by the courts.
Despite having secured two significant court decisions against such aggressive enforcement methods, Bass noted the ongoing raids across the city, calling them unconstitutional. She condemned the actions as racial profiling, stating, “…continually chase people through parking lots, detaining them for no particular reason under the auspices that they could be criminals.”
In a recent development, the Trump administration made a move to petition the Supreme Court to reinstate mass deportation tactics across Southern California. This effort seeks to lift a ban on roving patrols, which a lower court previously deemed likely to violate the Fourth Amendment rights of individuals.
Looking ahead, Bass mentioned the uncertainty surrounding the administration’s willingness to adhere to any forthcoming Supreme Court decisions, remarking, “…the question looms before us, even if we do have a positive court decision: ‘Will the administration follow the rule of law?’”
As tensions between state officials and federal immigration operations escalate, the situation in Los Angeles reflects broader national debates concerning immigration enforcement and civil rights, with community voices increasingly demanding accountability and reform.
image source from：latimes
