President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, just made a bold threat: arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass if they interfere with ICE operations.
“I’m telling you what, we’re going to keep enforcing law every day in L.A. Every day in L.A., we’re going to enforce immigration law. I don’t care if they like it or not,” Homan told NBC News on June 7.
The threat comes as Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops into Los Angeles to crack down on growing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. The move sparked backlash from Newsom and Bass, who say it only makes things worse.
But Homan stood firm. When asked directly if Newsom or Bass could be arrested, he said, “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.”
He said no one is off limits. “We’ll ask DOJ to prosecute,” he said, if local officials block federal agents. Though he admitted Bass hasn’t “crossed the line yet,” the message was clear: step in ICE’s way, and face the consequences.
ICE agents, backed by federal troops, have stepped up raids across Los Angeles. According to the Department of Homeland Security, 118 undocumented immigrants were arrested last week, including five alleged gang members and others charged with smuggling, drug trafficking, and assault.
Tensions exploded outside the Metropolitan Detention Center on June 8, where protesters confronted the National Guard in downtown L.A. Demonstrations have grown larger and more confrontational in recent days, with activists accusing the federal government of targeting immigrant communities.
Newsom and Bass argue that deploying the military into a civilian city is dangerous and provocative.
With federal raids ongoing and resistance growing, the showdown between Washington and California is escalating fast—and Homan’s warning just turned up the heat.
