SACRAMENTO—On August 17, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the federal government to inquire why there was a Customs and Border Protection presence at a redistricting event he was holding at the Democracy Center in Los Angeles.

This is the second time that Governor Newsom has issued a FOIA this summer. On June 7, Newsom complained about the deployment of the U.S. National Guard.

Newsom’s first request came after President Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to offer support to Immigration and Customs Agents who were there to execute outstanding warrants on people who entered the country illegally.

Governor Newsom publicly referred to the deployment of U.S. military forces as, “purposefully inflammatory.” He posted a picture of Customs and Border Patrol Agents with the headline:

“Border Patrol Agents showed up at our big, beautiful press conference! We will not be intimidated.”

Protestors were spitting and throwing rocks at ICE agents while they were attempting to do their job. Local law enforcement did not assist.

The President of the United States has the authority under the Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy the National Guard into federal service for instances of civil unrest, riots, and insurrections.

Governor Newsom has insisted that POTUS has not asked the Governor’s permission first, claiming Title 10 Status, including the Posse Comitatus Act restricting federal troops in domestic law enforcement.

LAPD published the 2025 Los Angeles Police Department, Community Policing and Immigration: A guide to LAPD’s policies regarding immigration.

Immigration-Booklet-Rev-6-06-26-25

On December 9, 2024, Mayor Karen Bass signed Los Angeles City Ordinance No. 188441, adding chapter 19 to the Los Angeles Administrative Code (LAAC).

“State law prohibits Department personnel from interrogating or interviewing a person regarding their immigration status. Therefore, LAPD employees are generally unaware of persons’ immigration status and do not have an obligation to personally contact US-ICE.”

LAPD officers and LASD Deputies aren’t to ask about immigration status when they are booking criminals into jail.  They are not to report the presence of illegal immigrants to ICE. All fingerprint and booking information is uploaded into an FBI database.