Kristi Noem was mid-interview on Fox News when the network cut to a live split-screen showing federal immigration agents arresting suspected undocumented immigrants outside a press conference hosted by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The surprise footage unfolded Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, where Newsom had been touting the state’s plans to redraw congressional districts in a way Democrats say will counter alleged Republican gerrymandering in Texas. The arrests, carried out by Border Patrol agents, drew loud boos from the Democratic crowd after Newsom acknowledged their presence just outside the venue.
Fox News hosts John Roberts and Aishah Hasnie narrated the unfolding scene, calling it a “very in-your-face” move to show Democrats that President Donald Trump’s immigration policies would be enforced regardless of the political optics.
Hasnie told viewers the video had just been received from Fox’s reporters in Los Angeles, explaining that the arrests appeared to target illegal immigrants in the immediate area of Newsom’s press conference. She then turned to Noem, asking for her reaction to the spectacle playing out in real time alongside their conversation.
Noem responded by praising the broader immigration crackdown, framing it as a win for American workers. “Not only did 1.6 million people leave the United States that shouldn’t be here, but also 2.5 million Americans became employed in the last six, seven months,” she said.
🚨BREAKING: Karen Bass is LOSING IT as ICE arrests illegal immigrants outside Newsom’s press conference.
Trump has officially sent her over the edge. 😂 pic.twitter.com/402FWGxXJD
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) August 14, 2025
“That’s incredible growth for U.S. citizens that will benefit their families and the people who love this country, who were born here, who want to be employed and now have new opportunities for success as well.” Her remarks doubled down on the administration’s argument that removing undocumented immigrants directly translates into more jobs for American citizens.
When pressed about the specifics of the Los Angeles arrests, Noem insisted that operations like the one being shown on screen were not random. “Remember, we’re focusing on the worst of the worst,” she said. “So I don’t know specific to what information that they had for that operation that they planned today, but it was based on the investigative work that all law enforcement officers do for every single operation they conduct, to make sure that they’re getting dangerous criminals off our streets.”
She emphasized that ICE and Border Patrol actions are driven by casework and intelligence. “It’s a case and an operation that has been planned because of who they think could be in that area and what they have for information that shows that there are illegal criminals there,” she added.
The optics of the arrests, federal agents visibly operating within earshot of a sitting Democratic governor’s event, were immediately seized upon by both sides of the political divide. Supporters saw it as a pointed demonstration of immigration enforcement in action, while critics argued it was a political stunt meant to embarrass Newsom and provoke his audience.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, speaking to reporters afterward, accused the federal agents of deliberately making a show of their presence. “They decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governor’s face,” she said, calling the move disrespectful and unnecessary.
The moment quickly trended online, with clips of Noem’s live reaction and the Border Patrol arrests circulating on social media. For Fox News viewers, the segment was a rare collision of political theater and law enforcement action in real time, complete with a governor on stage, a split-screen interview, and arrests happening just steps away from the cameras. For Noem, it was an opportunity to reinforce her hard-line immigration stance while the rest of the country watched the drama unfold live.
Newsom has been trending due to his war of words with Trump and threat to remap California concerning Republicans’ effort to gerrymander Texas.
