Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass bristled on Thursday after dozens of Border Patrol agents appeared outside of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press conference.

Newsom held a highly touted press conference on Thursday to outline California’s plan to counter GOP redistricting efforts in Texas. During Newsom’s remarks, roughly 100 federal officers gathered just outside the venue, the Japanese American National Museum, in preparation for an apparent raid in the area.

“There is no way this was a coincidence. This was widely publicized that the governor and many of our other elected officials were having a press conference here to talk about redistricting, and they decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governor’s face. Why would you do that? That is unbelievably disrespectful. It’s a provocative act,” said Bass later.

“They’re talking about disorder in Los Angeles, and they are the source of the disorder in Los Angeles right now. This is just completely unacceptable,” she continued. “This is an administration, this is a Customs and Border Patrol that has gone amok. This absolutely has to stop. There was no danger here, there was no need to detain anyone here, and there was certainly no need to have a provocative act right here where the governor is having a press conference.”

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Newsom’s office posted a video on social media of some of the federal agents, suggesting that the agents were ordered there as an act of intimidation.

“BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!” an X account for Newsom’s office posted.

BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED! pic.twitter.com/Bu4gmbeY40

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 14, 2025

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin denied Bass’ accusation, saying in a statement that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol regularly “patrols all areas of Los Angeles every day with over 40 teams on the ground to make LA safe.”

“Our law enforcement operations are about enforcing the law — not about Gavin Newsom,” she added.

During the press conference, Newsom announced plans to hold a special election that would allow California’s legislature to redraw its congressional map. California’s map is currently set by an independent commission. Even so, out of California’s 52 congressional districts, just nine are held by Republicans despite President Donald Trump earning nearly 40% of vote in 2024.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday that more than 1.6 million illegal aliens have self-deported in the last 200 days, arguing that President Donald Trump’s approach to manage illegal immigration was working.

Noem began with a post on X announcing the news and noting the positive impact that would have on the population in general.

“In less than 200 days, 1.6 MILLION illegal immigrants have left the United States population. This is massive. This means safer streets, taxpayer savings, pressure off of schools and hospital services and better job opportunities for Americans,” she said.

In less than 200 days, 1.6 MILLION illegal immigrants have left the United States population. This is massive. This means safer streets, taxpayer savings, pressure off of schools and hospital services and better job opportunities for Americans.

Thank you @POTUS Trump!

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) August 14, 2025

She followed that with some details during an appearance Thursday on Fox News, saying that it was proof Trump’s policies were working to keep the American public safe.

WATCH:

🚨 @Sec_Noem: 1.6M illegal aliens have voluntarily left the United States.

“The world got the message. They’re leaving on their own, which is the best thing for American citizens.” https://t.co/NmKYlSMWJX pic.twitter.com/I1Hu6zt4m5

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 14, 2025

“We have 1.6 [million] illegal immigrants that have left this country voluntarily,” she said. “And I think these numbers just show exactly the genius of Donald J. Trump, the brilliant mind that he has, that when he was elected in November, he knew he had to make America safe again, and he said, ‘Kristi, if you’re going to be my Homeland Security Secretary, we’re going to follow the law, you’re going to do commercials, you’re going to tell the world that no longer will we tolerate people being in our country illegally, and that they need to go home.'”

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Noem went on to say that even before he was elected, Trump had telegraphed his plan to make sure that there would be consequences if people continued to cross the border illegally.

“Overwhelmingly, the world got the message. They’re leaving on their own, which is the best thing for American citizens,” she said.