Overview

• On Aug. 17, Gov. Gavin Newsom filed a FOIA request with the Department of Homeland Security for all documents and records related to the Aug. 14 Border Patrol operation outside his Los Angeles redistricting press conference.
• The request demands planning records, internal communications referencing Newsom or the rally, plus any exchanges between federal law enforcement officials and Fox News, which embedded a reporter that day.
• DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the agents were focused on criminal enforcement, not targeting Newsom; two people—a suspected drug trafficker and a member of the Tren de Aragua gang—were arrested.
• Newsom described the deployment as a political intimidation tactic and a dangerous step toward authoritarianism in the battle over congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.
• This marks Newsom’s second FOIA request in August probing the Trump administration’s domestic deployments, with responses likely delayed and potential legal or judicial actions still pending.