Angry Newsom Challenges Trump Administration To “Arrest Me” As Conflict Grows In L.A. – Updated – Deadline
Source: Deadline
UPDATED with latest: “Come after me. Arrest me,” a visibly angry Governor Gavin Newsom challenged the Trump administration late today.
Newsom was responding to comments made by Trump border czar Tom Homan who, when asked if his threat to arrest anybody who got in the way of immigration officials included the California governor and/or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, replied, “I’ll say it about anybody. You cross that line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.”
Newsom challenged Homan today in an interview with MSNBC, “Why doesn’t he do that? He’s a tough guy. He knows where to find me.” The governor was upset by what he said was ICE detaining “four year old girls who are just trying to get an education. Lay your hands off these people who are just trying to live their lives.”
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Newsom then moved back to Homan and the Trump Administration.
“What the hell are they doing? These guys need to grow up. They need to stop. And we need to push back, so Tom: Arrest me. Let’s go.”
Newsom responds to Homan statement on possibly arresting him: He’s a tough guy. Why doesn’t he do that? He knows where to find me. Lay your hands off four year old girls that are trying to get educated. Come and arrest me. Let’s just get it over with tough guy. I don’t give a… pic.twitter.com/KbHAQalmUh
Dismissing the notion that what the Trump and aides like Stephen Miller are concerned with immigration enforcement, a steely Newsom added: “I think it’s something much more. This is about authoritarian tendencies. This about command and control. This is about power. This about ego.”
Intending to walk the walk as much as talk the talk, the governor also revealed that California will be taking Trump to court Monday.
Calling Trump’s order to take over the National Guard “an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act,” Newsom reiterated that none of the protocols for activating the Guard were followed by POTUS or the Secretary of Defense. “They had to coordinate with the governor of the state.,” Newsom said. “They never coordinated with the governor of the state,” he noted, pointing out he and no one else requested the Guard nor approved their deployment – and certainly not the White House grabbing control.
The lawsuit is likely to be filed in the morning, we hear.
In related news Sunday night, the City of Glendale announced it will end its agreement to house federal immigration detainees.
A statement from the city said the decision “reflects our core values: public safety, transparency, and community trust.”
After careful consideration, the City of Glendale has decided to end its agreement with U.S. Homeland Security/ICE to house federal immigration detainees.This local decision reflects our core values: public safety, transparency, and community trust. pic.twitter.com/ELf4GSyWU2
PREVIOUSLY at 4:51 p.m.: The conflict between California Governor Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump over ICE raids in Los Angeles and the federalization of the National Guard has escalated today as the LAPD put the City of Angels on tactical alert over anti-deportation protests and resistance.
“We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” the Governor bluntly said online of the state of affairs in LA.
In a whirl of events Sunday in a very tense LA, Newsom and Chief Jim McDonnell both are trying to grasp back control of the state and city from the tough-talking and heavy-handed Trump and stop things from escalating – with the Governor calling POTUS a “dictator.”
Earlier today, Trump took to his usual bully pulpit of social media proclaimed in his hyperbolic manner that “a once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals.” Going on a factually challenged rant, the former Celebrity Apprentice host added: “Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
An anti-ICE rally moved this afternoon from City Hall to the nearby federal building where over 100 detainees (including young children) rounded up by masked agents in the past two days have been housed in dank basements without access to lawyers. In response, top cop McDonnell moved first Sunday to keep protesters and the heavily armed National Guard and Homeland Security forces apart and prevent further clashes.
Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to LA, and, under a questionable legal basis, the Secretary of Defense has put Marines at Camp Pendleton on alert. The last time the National Guard put on the streets like this in LA was back in 1992 in the uprisings following the acquittal of four LAPD cops over their filmed beating of Rodney King. At that time, it was then Golden State Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, who requested the deployment. Two-term Democrat and potential presidential contender Newsom
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