Demonstrators, gathering in support of Minneapolis residents following recent ICE actions, hold a vigil and rally in Los Angeles on Jan. 24, 2026. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday called for U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to resign and Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino to be fired a day after federal immigration enforcement officers shot at another U.S. citizen in Minneapolis multiple times, killing him.
Weeks after the death of Renee Good, Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti on Friday, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. During an altercation in which Pretti was observing and documenting federal agents beforehand, multiple officers tackled Pretti to the ground. Pretti reportedly had a gun, for which he had a lawful permit to carry. After one agent took away the gun while Pretti was pinned on the ground, officers appear to have fired at him at least 10 times.
Immediately after the shooting, members of the Trump administration called Pretti a domestic terrorist. First Assistant U.S. Attorney and former California Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli defended the agents, arguing that there “is a high likelihood” law enforcement officers “will be legally justified in shooting you” if you approach them with a gun — an assertion that the National Rifle Association called “dangerous and wrong.”
On Sunday President Donald Trump also blamed Democrats and sanctuary laws, such as those in California, for the two deaths in Minneapolis.
In response, Newsom called for Border Patrol officers to return to the border, ending the militarization of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and investigations into “every single federal agent who is breaking the law.” His office also posted a know-your-rights guide for dealing with local police and immigration enforcement officers.
But the governor’s statements are part of a political calculus that is playing out as he makes a likely bid for the presidency. After Good’s death, Newsom’s team responded that ICE is “state sponsored terrorism.” Newsom eventually walked back this description during an interview with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
Meanwhile, as Congress weighs a spending deal that would include billions of dollars more for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan of Culver City called for a general strike to oppose ICE, similar to the large-scale walkout organized in Minneapolis.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also filed a brief supporting Minnesota’s lawsuit opposing the federal government’s immigration campaign in the state. Along with 19 other attorneys general, the brief argued that the “government’s unlawful conduct … infringes upon (Minnesota’s) constitutionally-guaranteed state sovereignty,” and that without legal intervention the government “will no doubt threaten other States and local communities across the nation.”
CalMatters events: Mi Escuelita, a San Diego preschool, is transforming how young children recover from trauma. Join our event on Feb. 5, in person in Chula Vista or virtually, to hear from California leaders in trauma-informed care about what works, what it takes to sustain it and how policymakers can expand these programs. Register today.
What should justice look like in California today? Join us in Los Angeles or virtually on Feb. 25th for a conversation with L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, former CDCR Director Dave Lewis and Heidi Rummel of the Post-Conviction Justice Project, on prosecution, incarceration and whether reform or tougher policies will define the state’s future. Register here.
Other Stories You Should Know
Fewer homicides in CA for second year in a row
Police officers walk through a crime scene in Oakland on Jan. 3, 2018. Photo by Gabrielle Lurie, San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Homicide rates in California have dropped for the second year in a row, consistent with a nationwide trend after a crime surge during the pandemic, reports CalMatters’ Nigel Duara.
In the city of Los Angeles, homicides dropped by more than 18% to 230 in 2025, and San Francisco had its lowest rates since 1954. Besides major cities, homicides have also been down in cities including Oakland, Fresno, Richmond and Lodi, though Kern County’s remains the state’s highest.
The declines mark a milestone after California experienced a rise in homicides during the pandemic, though crime in 2020-21 nationally and in California was still notably lower than the highs seen in the early 1990s.
Many factors could be at play for the falling numbers, crime researchers say. Magnus Lofstrom, policy director of criminal justice at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, said the pandemic-era homicide spike may have been the result of various social disruptions such as school shutdowns, unemployment and the pausing of public services.
Feds withdraw demand for patient records for now
Protesters gather outside of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to oppose the hospital’s decision to halt intake of patients under 19 seeking gender-affirming care on Feb. 13, 2025. Photo by J.W. Hendricks for CalMatters
The U.S. Department of Justice has agreed to drop its demand for medical records of more than 3,000 young transgender patients at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, writes CalMatters’ Ana B. Ibarra.
In July 2025 the Justice Department said it sent subpoenas to more than 20 medical providers that offered gender-affirming care for minors. Hospitals were directed to provide a wide array of documents, including ones “sufficient to identify each patient … who was prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy,” court documents show.
The department said it was probing doctors and clinics for potential “healthcare fraud” and “false statements.” But the department never provided evidence of fraud, said the director of one of the law firms representing families who sued the department in a class action lawsuit to stop the subpoenas.
Under the agreement the Justice Department will rescind its requests through 2029 for documents that identify patients or their families.
And lastly: Carveouts for LA’s ‘mansion tax’?
A view of a pool at a mansion in Beverly Hills on Sept. 8, 2021. Photo by Allen J. Schaben, Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
L.A.’s city council is expected to vote on a motion Tuesday that would tweak the city’s 2022 policy of taxing high-value real estate sales. In an attempt to encourage more construction, the motion calls for some development projects, such as apartments and condos, to be exempted from the tax. An anti-tax group wants to put a similar statewide measure before voters. Read more from CalMatters’ Ben Christopher.
California Voices
California policymakers must continue to fund trauma recovery centers — where trained staff members help survivors of crime heal from trauma — now that the passage of Proposition 36 has put funding streams for such programs at risk, writes Kathy Brown-Lowe, a crime and trauma survivor who lives in L.A.
Other things worth your time:
CA to join WHO health network in rebuke of Trump // Politico
CA sues the Trump administration over plans to restart oil pipelines along coast // AP News
FEMA cuts payouts to local fire departments responding to wildfires // San Francisco Chronicle
Rep. Swalwell says CA should withhold jobs and driver’s licenses from ICE agents // San Francisco Chronicle
Wealthy governor candidate Steyer calls to end corporate PAC spending // The Sacramento Bee
The hardest part about being a billionaire in CA: Proving you left // The Wall Street Journal
GOP rails against Newsom’s late date for special election to fill Rep. LaMalfa’s seat // Los Angeles Times
Rural CA is seeing its craziest election in years. Can a progressive win it? // The Guardian
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Lynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California’s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday. She produces and curates WhatMatters, CalMatters’ flagship daily newsletter…
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