Border agent's message after Newsom event: 'We were taken from Home Depot for this farce'

Newly released court documents and sworn testimonies have reignited controversy over a 2025 immigration operation. These internal records, part of a federal case, include messages and testimony from Department of Homeland Security agents who questioned the operation. They described it as politically motivated and a "farce."

The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that the new documents support his long-held position. Newsom has argued that the federal agents' deployment near a press conference for the "Election Rigging Response Act" was not for public safety. Instead, he claims it was a politically driven decision.

Internal messages and sworn statements from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) personnel reportedly used terms like "political agenda" and "farce." The statements also indicated that agents were pulled from other immigration enforcement tasks for the deployment. These elements, according to the governor's office, contradict public denials from the Trump administration about any link between the operation and Newsom's event.

One exchange within the court records describes agents marching from a federal building to the event, detaining individuals nearby, and remaining for media attention before returning. The governor's office presents this as evidence that the action was designed for political impact, not focused law enforcement. An HSI agent's message reportedly stated, "We basically raided Newsom's press conferences," and later added, "continue, from the Home Depot and the car wash for this farce."