Just as California Gov. Gavin Newsom was announcing a special election for state redistricting at a cultural center in Downtown Los Angeles, numerous federal agents showed up nearby.
While Newsom was inside the Japanese American National Museum on Aug. 14, stating his proposed changes to California’s congressional districts to counter Texas Republicans’ plans to create more GOP-friendly districts in their state, a group of federal agents was conducting immigration enforcement patrols in L.A.’s Little Tokyo district.
Newsom and his press office both took to social media to announce the agents’ presence, with an homage to President Donald Trump’s punctuation and rhetoric.
“BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!” the post said.
U.S. Border Patrol Sector Commander Gregory Bovino told KNBC-TV that the agency was conducting roving immigration enforcement patrols in the area. Bovino told the station that one person was taken into custody and detained for being in the U.S. illegally.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass later told news media on site, “There’s no way this was a coincidence,” noting that the news conference featuring Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Sen. Alex Padilla, among others, was well-publicized.
“They decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governor’s face,” Bass said. “Why would you do that? That is unbelievably disrespectful. It’s a provocative act. They’re talking about disorder in Los Angeles, and they are the source of the disorder in Los Angeles right now.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return USA TODAY’s request for comment about the patrol in the area.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Feds conduct apparent raid outside Newsom event in downtown LA
