Immigration Agents Bristled at ‘Stunt’ Operation Outside Newsom Rally, Texts Show

Federal immigration agents privately bristled at their participation in a controversial operation outside of a press conference held by California Gov. Gavin Newsom in August 2025, text message screenshots filed in federal court this week revealed.

Two agents discussed the event — as well as their anxiety over the possibility of violating court orders — in messages that were among the exhibits submitted Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union in a California federal court. The exhibits also contained numerous incidents of federal immigration agents using crude and racist language toward Latinos.

Federal personnel from Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies conducted widespread raids in Los Angeles last summer under Operation At Large, part of the Trump administration’s aggressive mass-deportation push.

The texts between the unidentified federal agents — one of whom was recognized in court documents as a Homeland Security Investigations special agent, referred to as Agent G.A. in the filings — offer a candid look into how agents privately viewed their roles in Operation At Large. The agent conversed with their colleague, or Agent W, in redacted records.

The incident in question occurred when Gregory Bovino, a polarizing former Border Patrol commander who was placed in charge of the Los Angeles operation, appeared with armed federal agents outside a museum in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood on Aug. 14, 2025, where Newsom was hosting a press conference for a redistricting proposition. The agents detained several people and lingered at the scene, sparking a flurry of media coverage.

At the time, DHS contended that the operation was about “enforcing the law.”

A screenshot from ICE body camera footage that was among many videos, texts and other transcripts submitted Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union in federal court. Courtesy of the ACLU

Newsom said in a social media post Wednesday that the released texts prove that the operation was targeted. The governor’s office referred to the posts when asked for comment.

“This is crazy. I never thought I would actually see anything like this. We got pulled off the HD and car wash to run this stunt,” Agent G.A. wrote that day, referencing sites such as Home Depot where agents would often appear to arrest day laborers and other workers.

The agent claimed they were told to “stand down” while at the press conference.

“We’re told to assist with targeted enforcement,” Agent G.A. wrote. “That is not target enforcement. That was just a political agenda. Hopefully I can get replaced soon.”

Agent G.A. wrote to Agent W again on Aug. 15, “I had no interest in going out with BP to Little Tokyo lol.” They said agents just “stood around to get media attention” after marching from a federal building in downtown LA to Newsom’s press conference and arresting a few people.

“Would you have went?” Agent G.A. asked.

“If I knew what they were doing probably not,” Agent W responded.

Agent W brought up Bovino, saying they had heard he was a “good dude and really good at his job” but at times did “things like this that are a little out of pocket.”

“I think BP is mostly just excited because they don’t usually get to do this so they’re kind of loving the media attention maybe,” Agent W wrote.

Agent G.A. said in a subsequent deposition interview that he wanted to be removed from Operation At Large because of the controversial operation outside Newsom’s press conference, as well as internal pressure to carry out what he worried were possible violations of a temporary restraining order.

“It seemed to be pushing into public spaces, you know, more and more frequently,” Agent G.A. told a lawyer during the deposition, which was also included in the ACLU’s court filings. “It seemed to be escalating to less and less targeted.”

Agent G.A. and Agent W’s conversation in the exhibit spans from Aug. 11, 2025, to Aug. 15, 2025. At the time, a federal district court had issued a temporary restraining order that stopped federal agencies from conducting indiscriminate immigration stops. The Supreme Court later paused that ruling on Sept. 8, 2025.

The federal agents questioned among themselves whether they could be held liable for continuing the indiscriminate stops, despite the restraining order. Agent G.A. said they were no longer assigned to Home Depot raids after complaining to management that the raids could violate the court order.

Agent W said they were “pretty sure” the raids violated the order, and said they had signed up for professional liability insurance.

“Still they shouldn’t ask us to do anything that violates a court order,” Agent G.A. said.

“I think they only know one way to operate,” Agent W replied. “See bodies, chase bodies.”