Newsom files FOIA request on border patrol’s appearance

By Jamie Parsons
The Center Square

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is submitting a Freedom of Information Act request for details regarding the Trump administration’s decision to send U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents to downtown Los Angeles at the same moment Newsom was holding a redistricting press conference there.

The Governor’s Office announced Sunday in a press release it believes Trump’s decision was an attempt to intimidate Newsom and California politicians attending the Thursday conference, where Newsom proposed The Election Rigging Response Act at the Democracy Center at the Japanese American National Museum.

The Election Rigging Response Act act is an attempt to counterbalance Texas’ and maybe other states’ decision to redraw their congressional maps for the mid-term election in a way that Newsom believes will help Trump in the mid-term election.

“Trump’s use of the military and federal law enforcement to try to intimidate his political opponents is yet another dangerous step towards authoritarianism,” Newsom said in the press release. “We will not back down in our defense of democratic freedom, and the Trump administration should answer for this pathetic and cowardly behavior.”

Newsom went as far as to compare Trump’s decision to actions made by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea ruler Kim Jon Un, in a post on X Sunday.

The Governor’s Office submitted another FOIA request earlier this month regarding the Trump administration’s use of the National Guard and U.S. Marines in June in Los Angeles.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security told The Center Square Monday that Customs and Border Patrol agents patrol all areas of Los Angeles and that its job is not focused on Newsom.

“Our brave men and women of CBP patrol all areas of Los Angeles every day with over 40 teams to arrest criminal illegal aliens,” DHS said. “ To Mr. Newsom’s chagrin, DHS is focused on enforcing the law, not on him.”

The DHS also said CBP arrested two illegal immigrants Thursday near the Democracy Center at the museum, located in the Little Tokyo section of downtown Los Angeles.

“These arrests include an alleged Tren de Aragua gang member and narcotics trafficker,” the DHS said.

Newsom is requesting “all documents and records,” including text messages, Microsoft Teams messages, phone logs, risk assessments, and memoranda, related to the CBP operation in downtown Los Angeles, according to the FOIA request submitted by the Newsom’s office.

The governor is also requesting records regarding the Trump administration’s communications with Fox News to embed a reporter and camera crew with CBP on Thursday.

The Office of Information Policy at the Department of Justice has until Sept. 8 to make a determination. If the office decides to deny the request entirely or partly, Newsom’s office said it would like the DOJ to provide a thorough explanation.