Democrats challenge Trump on immigration enforcement
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Gov. Gavin Newsom in Los Angeles on Feb. 26. Photo: Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
Democratic state leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration's policies and threats this week.
The big picture: As protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids escalate nationwide, particularly in California, lawmakers are seizing the moment to challenge the administration's bluff about not cooperating with President Trump's enforcement policies.
- Trump and members of his administration have threatened to arrest any government officials who stand in the way of the president's policies, especially when it comes to immigration.
- The president's border czar Tom Homan said he wouldn't rule out arresting Democratic officials who impede law enforcement or harbor undocumented immigrants.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) dared Homan to do so, and Trump suggested the governor indeed be arrested amid an escalating feud.
Yes, but: Arrests aren't the only concern facing Democrats.
- In the latest flareup, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was physically removed from a Los Angeles press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday as he said he tried to ask a question.
- Padilla's encounter follows another between three House Democrats from New Jersey and ICE agents last month, which ultimately resulted in the indictment of Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.)
- McIver is charged with three counts of "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers." She said she plans to plead not guilty and called the charges a "brazen attempt at political intimidation."
State of play: Trump has doubled down on his sweeping immigration crackdown, deploying 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines to California this week amid demonstrations against federal immigration raids.
- Newsom, along with other Democratic city and state leaders, have fiercely opposed the military's deployment to quell protesters. Still, Trump has sent troops into the state.
- Meanwhile, Trump vowed that protests responding to his planned multimillion-dollar military parade in D.C. this weekend will be met with "very big force."
Zoom in: Democratic lawmakers have for months been challenging the administration's policies — on everything from immigration to tariffs.
- A coalition of 20 Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the administration last month over threats to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding if they don't follow his immigration enforcement polices.
- This week, the focus has been on the administration's hardline immigration policies.
- During an hours-long congressional hearing Thursday, three governors cast the administration's immigration policies and response to protests as undemocratic while Republican lawmakers grilled them on state-level enforcement.
- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Homan could "try" to arrest them over their disconnects on the issue.
Zoom out: Congress members are not the only ones challenging the administration, with a battle at play between the executive and judiciary.
- Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan, who was charged in April by the FBI with allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest, has painted her case as a broader defense of the judiciary's independence from the Trump administration.
- Meanwhile, LA Mayor Karen Bass and other Democratic regional leaders at a Wednesday briefing called for the ICE raids to end, as demonstrations continued across the country.
What we're watching: More protests are planned for this weekend, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowing to deploy the National Guard across the Lone Star State ahead of Saturday's "No Kings" demonstrations planned across the nation to counter Trump's D.C. parade.
Go deeper: Trump says he'd arrest Gov. Newsom
