GOV GAVIN NEWSOM: Trump is trying to destroy our democracy. Do not let him

Over the past 2 weeks, national agents conducted large-scale workplace raids astir Southern California. They jumped retired of unmarked vans, indiscriminately grabbing radical disconnected the street, chasing radical successful cultivation fields. A woman, 9 months pregnant, was arrested successful LA; she had to be hospitalized aft being released. A household with 3 children, including a three-year-old, was held for 2 days successful an bureau basement without capable nutrient oregon water. 

Several radical taken successful the raids were deported the aforesaid time they were arrested, raising superior owed process concerns. U.S. citizens person been harassed and detained. And we cognize that ICE is progressively detaining thousands of radical with nary different transgression charges oregon convictions: Those arrested with nary different transgression charges oregon convictions roseate from astir 860 successful January to 7,800 this period – a much than 800% increase. Meanwhile, those arrested and detained with criminal charges oregon convictions roseate astatine the overmuch little complaint of 91%. Trump is lying astir focusing connected "the worst of the worst." 

While California is nary alien to migration enforcement, what we’re seeing is simply a unsafe ploy for headlines by an medication that believes successful cruelty and intimidation. Instead of focusing connected undocumented immigrants with superior transgression records and borderline information – a strategy some parties person agelong supported – the Trump medication is pushing wide deportations, targeting hardworking migrant families, careless of their roots oregon risk, successful bid to conscionable quotas.

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In response, mundane Californians came retired past week, and by the tens of thousands conscionable this past Saturday, to protestation their government’s actions – to workout their law close to free speech and assembly. 

Our strategy of ideology was created successful nonstop absorption to the monarchy and designed to bolster idiosyncratic state and liberty truthful that we are ne'er again subjugated to a king. It is that idea, that ineffable value, that is being destroyed. 

California, the location of the escaped code movement, is nary alien to specified demonstrations. Our instrumentality enforcement officers are well-trained to supply security, guarantee order, and intervene erstwhile necessary. Last weekend, authorities and section authorities deployed instrumentality enforcement officers, including those from the California Highway Patrol, the LAPD, and the sheriff’s department. Although determination were incidents of unit and spot damage, authorities and local instrumentality enforcement officials restored and maintained order.

Those who go convulsive and destructive – vandalizing property, trying to onslaught constabulary officers – volition beryllium apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest grade of the law. We bash not tolerate transgression behavior.

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But we cognize that President Donald Trump is not opposed to lawlessness and violence, truthful agelong arsenic it serves him. His expected interest for the men and women successful azygous is not based connected their loyalty to this state and its people, but to him and his cause. What much grounds bash we request than January 6 – and his pardons for those involved, including those who violently assaulted constabulary officers that day?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during an code connected Tuesday, June 10, 2025.  (Office of California Governor via AP)

So it’s nary astonishment that – without immoderate petition oregon input from maine – helium illegally commandeered 4,000 of our state’s National Guard members to deploy connected our streets. It was lone 5 years agone that President Trump himself said: "We person to spell by the laws … we can’t telephone successful the National Guard, unless we are requested by a governor." 

Then, astatine a infinitesimal champion timed to further inflame the situation, helium deployed much than 700 progressive work U.S. Marines. These are men and women trained successful overseas combat, not home instrumentality enforcement. We grant their work and their bravery. But we bash not privation our streets militarized by our ain Armed Forces. With this act, President Trump has betrayed our soldiers, the American people, and our halfway traditions; soldiers are being ordered to patrol the precise aforesaid American communities they swore to support successful wars overseas. 

The deployment of national soldiers successful L.A. doesn’t support our communities – it traumatizes them. Kids are acrophobic to be their ain graduations. People are acrophobic to spell to work. They are arresting dishwashers, gardeners, and seamstresses. These are not criminals, these are families; this is not nationalist safety, this is tyranny.

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California volition proceed to combat connected behalf of each our people, including successful the courts. The president knows it, that’s wherefore he’s attacking america truthful aggressively. We’ve filed 26 lawsuits against the Trump administration, and already, we’ve successfully secured a national tribunal order calling retired Trump’s amerciable takeover of the California National Guard and militarization of Los Angeles. 

This is inactive acold from over. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks aft U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer granted an exigency impermanent restraining bid to halt President Trump's deployment of the California National Guard, Thursday, June 12, 2025, astatine the California State Supreme Court gathering successful San Francisco.  (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Authoritarian regimes statesman by targeting the astir vulnerable. But they bash not halt there. Trump and his loyalists thrive connected part due to the fact that it allows them to consolidate powerfulness and exert adjacent greater control. If immoderate of america tin beryllium snatched disconnected the streets without a warrant, based lone connected suspicion oregon tegument color, past nary of america are safe. 

We are successful a perilous moment. We person a sitting president who believes helium is bound by nary law, including our Constitution. In conscionable implicit 140 days, helium has fired authorities watchdogs that could clasp him accountable for corruption and fraud. He’s declared warfare connected culture, connected history, connected science, and connected cognition itself. Databases are disappearing, archives are being raided, and universities are being told what they tin teach. The judicial branch and the rule of instrumentality are nether siege. Journalists and quality organizations are targets.

This is astir acold much than L.A. It’s astir much than California. This is astir each of america – it’s astir you.

U.S. National Guard are deployed astir downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, pursuing an migration raid protestation the nighttime before.  (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

When Donald Trump asserted broad authorization to commandeer the National Guard, helium made that bid use to each authorities successful this nation. California whitethorn beryllium first, but it won’t beryllium the last. Other states are next. Democracy is next.

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His medication has manhandled and handcuffed U.S. Senator Alex Padilla for asking the Secretary of Homeland Security a question. For doing his job. Newark Mayor Ras Barakawas was arrested arsenic helium accompanied members of Congress to inspect a national migration detention center. Rep. LaMonica McIver has present been indicted successful transportation with the aforesaid incident. 

Our strategy of ideology was created successful nonstop absorption to the monarchy and designed to bolster idiosyncratic state and liberty truthful that we are ne'er again subjugated to a king. It is that idea, that ineffable value, that is being destroyed. 

But our top spot has ever been with the people. It’s clip for each of america to basal up. 

Former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said it best: "In a democracy, the astir important governmental bureau is that of the backstage citizen." Not the bureau of the president, nor of the governor. But it is you, the people, who are astir important. It is your dependable that should beryllium loudest. 

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Many of you are feeling heavy anxiety, stress, and fear. But you are the antidote to that fearfulness and anxiety. What Donald Trump wants astir is your fealty, your silence. 

Do not springiness successful to him. Do not fto him win. If we basal together, arsenic neighbors, arsenic communities, arsenic states, we will win. 

This file is adapted from Gov. Newsom’s "Democracy astatine a Crossroads" code connected June 10.