On Sunday President Donald Trump also blamed Democrats and sanctuary laws, such as those in California, for the two deaths in Minneapolis.
In response, Newsom called for Border Patrol officers to return to the border, ending the militarization of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and investigations into “every single federal agent who is breaking the law.” His office also posted a know-your-rights guide for dealing with local police and immigration enforcement officers.
But the governor’s statements are part of a political calculus that is playing out as he makes a likely bid for the presidency. After Good’s death, Newsom’s team responded that ICE is “state sponsored terrorism.” Newsom eventually walked back this description during an interview with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
Meanwhile, as Congress weighs a spending deal that would include billions of dollars more for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan of Culver City called for a general strike to oppose ICE, similar to the large-scale walkout organized in Minneapolis.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also filed a brief supporting Minnesota’s lawsuit opposing the federal government’s immigration campaign in the state.
Along with 19 other attorneys general, the brief argued that the “government’s unlawful conduct … infringes upon (Minnesota’s) constitutionally-guaranteed state sovereignty,” and that without legal intervention the government “will no doubt threaten other States and local communities across the nation.”
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
