A tense standoff is unfolding in California, where riots have broken out following a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on illegal migrants. The US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has launched an investigation into the unrest, accusing Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass of inaction and obstructing federal efforts to manage the situation. The committee’s probe was announced on Friday, with Chairman James Comer and Clay Higgins sending letters to Newsom and Bass, requesting documents and communications related to the riots and the state’s response.
The protests, which began last week, quickly escalated into violent clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement. Rioters have been reported torching police cars and US flags, blocking highways, and engaging in physical altercations with officers. The police response has included the use of tear gas and rubber bullets, resulting in hundreds of arrests and multiple injuries on both sides. The US House Oversight Committee’s investigation is focused on the state authorities’ handling of the situation, with committee members accusing Newsom and Bass of falsely claiming that they had the protests under control.
The situation has been further complicated by a legal dispute over the deployment of the National Guard to California. Newsom had sued the Trump administration over the decision, arguing that it was an overreach of federal authority. A US district judge initially ruled in Newsom’s favor, declaring the deployment illegal, but a Court of Appeals later issued a temporary injunction, allowing the National Guard to remain under Trump’s control until a hearing on Tuesday.
In response to the committee’s request for documents, Newsom’s press office hinted that the records would reveal unusual communications from the White House. The governor’s team posted a message on social media, saying, “We’re good with transparency. Will the White House say the same?” The exchange is the latest salvo in an acrimonious dispute between Newsom and Trump, with the governor describing the president’s decision to deploy the National Guard as a “step toward authoritarianism” and a “serious breach of state sovereignty.”
Trump, meanwhile, has been vocal in his criticism of Newsom, calling him “grossly incompetent” and urging him to “get his act together” and apologize for his handling of the situation. The US president has also suggested that he would support a proposal to have Newsom arrested for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts. As the investigation continues, the situation in California remains volatile, with tensions between state and federal authorities showing no signs of easing. The probe is likely to shed more light on the events leading up to the riots and the response of state and federal officials, but for now, the standoff between Newsom and Trump only appears to be intensifying.
