US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would support the arrest of California's Gavin Newsom, in a dramatic escalation of a growing conflict with the Democratic governor about immigration protests that roiled Los Angeles during the weekend.
The Republican president's remarks came after Newsom vowed to sue the federal government over the deployment of National Guard troops to Southern California, calling it an illegal act.
As Los Angeles faced a possible fourth day of protests over immigration raids in the city, Democrats and Republicans clashed over what has become the biggest flashpoint in the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to deport migrants living in the country illegally.
"We are suing Donald Trump," Newsom said on X. "This is a manufactured crisis. He is creating fear and terror to take over a state militia and violate the U.S. constitution."
Newsom called Trump's actions an "unmistakable step toward authoritarianism."
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a release that his office had sued. Reuters could not immediately confirm that a lawsuit had been filed.
Federal law allows the president to deploy the Guard if the nation is invaded, if there is “rebellion or danger of rebellion,” or the president is “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”
California's suit accuses Trump of exceeding his authority under the statute and asks a court to declare his actions as unlawful.
Returning to the White House on Monday after a night at Camp David, Trump was asked by a reporter whether his border czar, Tom Homan, should arrest Newsom. Homan has threatened to arrest anyone who obstructs immigration enforcement efforts, including the governor.
"I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great," Trump replied. "Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing."
The streets in Democratic-led Los Angeles were calm on Monday after protests erupted on Friday night. ICE agents had arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations.
The sometimes-violent demonstrations continued over the weekend, leading Trump to order deployment of the National Guard.
The White House and congressional Republicans contended the protests were a further reason for Republicans in Congress to pass Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” that would increase border security and military spending.
The bill, now in the U.S. Senate after clearing the U.S. House of Representatives, would also slash taxes, cut Medicaid benefits and do away with green-energy initiatives.
“We need the One Big, Beautiful Bill to pass ASAP!” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X.
House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson echoed her comments, posting on X: "The lawlessness happening in LA is ANOTHER reason why we need to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill IMMEDIATELY."
Fiscal conservatives in the Senate, along with former Trump adviser Elon Musk, have balked at the bill's cost, saying it will inflate the nation's budget deficit.
On Guard
US Northern Command said 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed to three spots in the Los Angeles area. The Department of Homeland Security said the Guard's mission was to protect federal buildings.
On Monday, law enforcement officers stood at intersections surrounding the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, which houses the detention facility where many detained immigrants were sent after ICE actions in Los Angeles neighbourhoods.
Some National Guard troops stood at the vehicle entrance to the detention centre. Anti-ICE graffiti covered walls and windows of the federal building and teams worked to cover the slogans with paint.
Hundreds of protesters gathered near Los Angeles City Hall for a rally in support of detained union leader David Huerta. They waved placards calling for Huerta’s release and chanted in Spanish “we are all David Huerta.”
Clash raises Newsom's profile
Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people who are in the country illegally and to lock down the U.S.-Mexico border, setting the ICE border enforcement agency a daily goal of arresting at least 3,000 migrants.
For Democrats, lacking leadership since Trump won the presidential election last November, the Los Angeles protests have served as a rallying point, allowing them to find some political footing while standing up to the administration's policies.
The episode has provided Newsom, serving his second term as governor, with a national platform that has allowed him to portray himself as Trump's chief antagonist.
But it has also underscored the risks of appearing too sympathetic to protesters, some of whom have set cars on fire and thrown bottles at police. During his first term, Trump castigated Democrats for civil unrest during riots protesting the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in 2020.
In one demonstration of that delicate balancing act, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed the Trump administration for inciting tensions by sending in the Guard, while also condemning protesters.
"I don't want people to fall into the chaos that I believe is being created by the administration completely unnecessarily," Bass told a press conference on Sunday.
Trump accused Newsom and Bass of playing down the violence.
"We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California," he posted on social media on Monday.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also tried to defuse the situation after protesters over the weekend were seen carrying Mexican flags and denouncing Trump's policies.
"We call on the Mexican community to act peacefully and not fall for provocations," Sheinbaum said at her daily press conference. She did not specifically call for an end to the protests.
