California Governor Gavin Newsom, along with local congressional representatives, state officials and supporters, speaks as he announces the redrawing of California's congressional maps, calling on voters to approve a ballot measure, in response to a similar move in Texas being supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 14, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake
There was a huge show of force outside of a political event in Los Angeles on Thursday, prompting questions about the politicization of Customs and Border Patrol and immigration agents.
Just a few weeks ago, Democrats were hesitant about redistricting California to eliminate GOP seats, while Texas was attempting to eliminate Democratic seats. That appears to have changed, as local, state, and federal officials, along with labor leaders and activists, stood behind Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) as he issued a shot across the bow of the gerrymandering battle.
The masked agents were nabbing people with zip-ties as the governor issued his smackdown to President Donald Trump, calling him "weak" and "broken."
Speaking about it, Politico reporter Melanie Mason was asked about the update on the agents outside of the venue.
"Why were they there?" asked MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace.
"I have to say that this could not be a bigger gift for Gov. Newsom," Mason said. "Because, let's be honest, Newsom and fellow Democrats want to make what's going on now a conversation about Trump. And so by Trump sending, if that is what happened, border patrol or ICE to this press conference, it absolutely makes that dichotomy very clear."
She noted that the current debate goes beyond gerrymandering and makes it part of a larger issue about good governance and cheating.
"I think Democrats actually have a tough slog," Mason confessed, saying that they put a poll in the field Thursday morning, and thus far, the vast majority of both Democrats and Republicans want independent redistricting panels.
"But if this turns into a partisan fight, if this turns into a referendum on the Trump administration — and this type of ICE raid, exactly sort of, stirs up those partisan passions here in California, that's a fight that I think that Democrats feel very confident that they can win," she closed.
See the clip below or at the link here.