Border Patrol outside of Governor Gavin Newsom's Press Conference in Los Angeles on Thursday
August 15, 2025 - SACRAMENTO – Masked and armed Border Patrol agents appeared at a press conference Governor Newsom held on Thursday with legislators to discuss redistricting. The event had no relation to immigration issues, and the presence of the agents appeared designed to intimidate the Trump Administration’s political opposition.
Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is authoring SB 627, the No Secret Police Act to ban law enforcement officials at all levels from wearing masks while on duty, with some exceptions for health and safety. He issued the following statement in response.
“Today Governor Newsom, legislators, and community leaders held a press conference in Los Angeles to announce California’s redistricting process to counter the rigged redistricting process Trump and his cronies initiated in Texas. Trump’s Border Patrol thugs showed up with ski masks. This situation — California leaders rallying for democracy and Trump’s secret police showing up to intimidate people — encapsulates exactly where our country is right now. I’m proud of California for standing up for our democracy, and I look forward to voting for the redistricting plan next week. In addition, I’m authoring legislation (Senate Bill 627) to ban this kind of extreme masking by law enforcement, including federal agents. I look forward to passing that bill and sending it to the Governor.”
DISGUSTING !!
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 14, 2025
The Japanese American National Museum (where this was taking place) just let us know the same spot Border Patrol were arresting people earlier today is the SAME SPOT where they loaded Japanese people onto buses to go to internment camps. https://t.co/4WHXVDIY6s
Source: Senator Scott Weiner