President Trump said on June 9, 2025, that he would support border czar Tom Homan arresting California Gov. Gavin Newsom, after Newsom challenged federal officials to arrest him during protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles. Trump also called some protesters “insurrectionists” and did not rule out further steps.
President Donald Trump said on Monday, June 9, 2025, that he would support the arrest of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, escalating a dispute over the federal response to protests against immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
Asked about Newsom’s challenge to border czar Tom Homan to arrest him, Trump said, “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great.” He added, “Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,” according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Trump made the comments as he arrived at the White House from Camp David.
Newsom responded on social media: “The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America.”
Trump calls protesters ‘insurrectionists’
Trump described the people involved in unrest in Los Angeles as “professional agitators” and “insurrectionists, bad people,” and said, “They should be in jail.”
Protests broke out over the weekend in the Los Angeles area after federal immigration agents carried out a series of raids. Federal officials said the operations led to more than 100 arrests, and the Department of Homeland Security said those arrested included people with criminal records. Some demonstrations turned violent, with clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
National Guard federalized
Over the weekend, Trump federalized members of the California National Guard and ordered them deployed to Los Angeles over the objections of state and local officials. Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the move escalated tensions. Newsom said the state would sue the administration, arguing that Trump illegally federalized the Guard.
Trump defended the decision on social media and criticized both Newsom and Bass.
How the arrest dispute began
The exchange followed comments by Homan, who said people who obstruct immigration enforcement could face arrest, including public officials. In a television interview, Newsom responded by daring Homan to come and arrest him.
The Insurrection Act question
Reporters asked Trump whether he would invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, which allows a president to deploy the military domestically to suppress civil unrest in certain circumstances. Trump did not rule it out. Legal experts noted that federalizing the Guard is a separate step from invoking the act, which presidents have used only rarely.
What happens next
California’s lawsuit over the Guard deployment is expected to move through the federal courts, and further protests were planned in Los Angeles. Newsom, widely seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, has become one of the most prominent critics of the administration’s immigration enforcement.
Source: ABC7 Los Angeles
