California Democratic officials have escalated their conflict with the Trump administration by announcing a new state-run tool designed to identify and report what they consider potential misconduct by federal immigration agents operating within the state’s borders.
The initiative was unveiled Tuesday by Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), providing residents an avenue to submit reports regarding alleged unlawful activities committed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection officers, or National Guard soldiers. This portal specifically asks citizens to flag incidents where federal agents might be exceeding their lawful authority.
“These past 10 months,” Bonta stated without directly citing the president’s actions in his prepared remarks related to this portal, “have seen an administration engage in a campaign of terror and fear by enforcing its immigration laws, and Californians are rightly concerned that federal agents may be crossing the line.”
Newsom echoed similar sentiments: “This new portal gives Californians an easy and safe way to speak up, share what they see regarding federal actions that seem unlawful, and help us hold people accountable. No one is above the law.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli, appointed by the current US Attorney General Pam Bondi (though this detail remains in quotes per his prior response), has commented on the state’s initiative.
“We have a portal too,” Essayli reportedly said regarding Bonta and Newsom’s announcement via their X account, “People can report California state officials engaged in illegal activity at the following link: tips.fbi.gov.”
Bonta and Newsom highlighted past legal actions as well. Since President Donald Trump’s January inauguration, Bonta has filed 48 separate lawsuits against the federal government over various issues.
This development underscores ongoing tensions between state and federal authorities regarding immigration enforcement within California.
