Trump Urges Arrest of Gov. Gavin Newsom Amid Anti-ICE Protests in Los Angeles

President Donald Trump sparked fresh controversy on Monday after suggesting that former acting ICE Director and current White House Border Czar Tom Homan should arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom. The comment came in response to ongoing anti-ICE protests that have engulfed parts of Los Angeles, resulting in clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump addressed the growing unrest in California and the criticism aimed at federal immigration authorities. Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked the president whether Homan should follow through on Governor Newsom’s apparent challenge to be arrested amid the federal government’s crackdown on illegal immigration enforcement.

“I would do it if I were Tom,” Trump replied. “I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity. I like Gavin Newsom—he’s a nice guy—but he’s grossly incompetent. Everybody knows it. Just look at the little railroad he’s building. It’s about 100 times over budget.”

Trump went on to condemn the protestors who have confronted and, in some cases, assaulted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during recent demonstrations in Los Angeles. “The people that are causing the problem are professional agitators,” Trump said. “They’re insurrectionists. They’re bad people. They should be in jail.”

The president’s comments come amid heightened tensions in Southern California, where thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest federal ICE raids on workplaces suspected of hiring undocumented workers. Over the weekend, the protests turned violent, with videos surfacing of ICE vehicles being vandalized, officers being spat on, and storefronts looted in downtown Los Angeles.

In response to the escalating violence, Trump authorized the deployment of approximately 2,000 National Guard troops to the city late Saturday evening. The move has drawn both support and criticism, with some praising the effort to restore order, while others view it as an unnecessary escalation.

While speaking from New Jersey on Monday before boarding Air Force One, Trump warned that additional actions could follow if the situation deteriorates further. “We are prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if necessary,” he said, referring to the rarely used federal law that allows the president to deploy active-duty military to address civil unrest.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has already placed an additional 500 U.S. Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton on standby, though no deployment orders have been issued as of Monday evening.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, now a private citizen but still an influential political figure, released a sharp rebuke of the administration’s actions. In a statement shared with reporters, Harris condemned the use of the National Guard and characterized the protests as “mostly peaceful,” despite reports of violence and property destruction.

“Los Angeles is my home,” Harris said. “And like so many Americans, I am appalled at what we are witnessing on the streets of our city. Deploying the National Guard is a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos.”

She went on to accuse the Trump administration of using immigration enforcement to sow fear and division. “This isn’t about public safety. This is about stoking panic in immigrant communities. The recent raids, combined with the military response, are part of a cruel and calculated agenda,” Harris said.

Critics have pointed to Harris’s own record on immigration, noting that her stance during her tenure as vice president and during the 2024 campaign was inconsistent and largely ineffective in curbing border crossings. Supporters of Trump argue that federal intervention in California is necessary due to a perceived lack of action by local officials.

Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have both declined to authorize state or city law enforcement to intervene aggressively against the protests, prompting federal action. Neither Newsom nor Bass has responded publicly to Trump’s comments or the deployment of the National Guard.

Meanwhile, a Department of Homeland Security report released Monday identified several organized activist groups as being behind the protests, some of which have called for the complete abolition of ICE and open borders. The report notes that the majority of protestors have remained peaceful, but a smaller faction has been linked to property damage and direct assaults on federal agents.

With more protests anticipated throughout the week in major California cities, federal and state authorities are on high alert. Law enforcement officials have increased their presence around government buildings and ICE field offices, and further National Guard deployments remain on the table.

The situation continues to unfold amid an already tense national atmosphere surrounding immigration policy, federal authority, and political division in an election year. Whether the unrest will lead to broader legislative or judicial consequences remains to be seen.