“It’s a disgrace what he’s doing in Minneapolis,” he said. “It’s a disgrace what his DHS is putting out. Very intentionally stoking tensions. White supremacy being promoted. None of this is normal and it cannot be normalized.”
Newsom did not explain how the enforcement of federal immigration law promotes white supremacy, nor how deporting people who are in the country illegally is akin to creating warlike conditions.
Roughly 700,000 Americans, including a sitting president, were killed during the U.S. Civil War, a toll that would be equivalent to millions of deaths when adjusted for the nation’s current population.
Newsom’s obviously inflammatory remarks came as Democrats across several states intensified public opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement actions, particularly in Democrat-controlled jurisdictions.
Newsom, who is widely expected to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, has increasingly aligned his messaging with extreme left-wing pro-migration activists within the party.
His remarks followed a wave of statements from Democratic officials warning of unrest and alleged abuses tied to federal immigration operations.
In Minnesota, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that Gov. Tim Walz may have been aware of, or complicit in, alleged fraud connected to immigration-related programs.
“We believe that he didn’t just know about it, that he may be complicit in it as well,” Noem said.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker echoed similar rhetoric after a journalist described Trump’s enforcement actions as an “invasion,” responding, “That’s exactly right, I think you’ve characterized it exactly properly.”
Pritzker is also considered a potential 2028 presidential contender.
On Friday, Democratic lawmakers held a hearing in Minnesota titled “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Deadly Assault on Minnesota,” led by Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Pramila Jayapal of Washington.
“This is the behavior of a paramilitary force operating outside the bounds of law,” Omar said, alleging that individuals had been shoved into traffic during immigration enforcement actions.
Jayapal accused ICE and Border Patrol agents of subjecting Minnesotans to lawlessness and violence, warning that “no one is safe” if such actions continue.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told the panel that federal enforcement actions were creating chaos in the city.
“They have taken people out of their cars to detain them on major streets,” Frey said, claiming vehicles were left running and unattended and that children and pets were affected during arrests.
“This is not making Minneapolis safer,” he said.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called the enforcement actions unjustified and unconstitutional, claiming they interfered with state sovereignty.
Federal officials have rejected those characterizations, saying the operations are lawful and necessary to enforce immigration law.
