Trump border czar Tom Homan fired back at California Gov. Gavin Newsom after the Democrat dared Homan to arrest him while defending the state's handling of anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles.
"He's a tough guy, why doesn't he do that [arrest me]? He knows where to find me," Newsom told MSNBC Sunday.
"Come after me, arrest me, let's just get it over with. Tough guy. I don't give a damn, but I care about my community… and I'm sorry to be so clear, but that kind of bloviating is exhausting. So Tom, arrest me."
The governor's taunt came after Homan warned Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could face federal charges for trying to impede ICE operations throughout the city, according to The New York Post.
NATIONAL GUARD TO BE DEPLOYED IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS ANTI-ICE PROTESTS RAGE: BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN
Tom Homan responded to Gavin Newsom's call to "arrest me" on "Fox & Friends," Monday. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images (left); Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images (right))
Homan told "Fox & Friends" on Monday that he had told an NBC reporter that "no one's above the law," but there was no discussion about arresting Newsom.
"What we discussed was for those protesters that crossed the line… you can protest, you get your First Amendment rights, but when you cross that line, you put hands on an ICE officer or you destroy property or I'd say that you impede law enforcement, or you're knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that's a crime, and the Trump administration is not going to tolerate it," he said.
"Then the reporter asked me, well, could Governor Newsom or Mayor Bass be arrested? I said, 'Well no one's above the law. If they cross the line and commit a crime, absolutely they can,' so there was no discussion about arresting Newsom."
Homan lambasted the blue state's response to riots against the Trump administration's immigration raids that rocked Los Angeles over the weekend, with some protesters throwing projectiles at law enforcement and torching American flags and cars.
FEDERAL OFFICIALS SLAM DEMOCRATS FOR 'DANGEROUS' RHETORIC AS ICE AGENTS FACE VIOLENT MOBS IN LA, NYC
Members of the Los Angeles Metro Police clash with demonstrators during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole (REUTERS/Daniel Cole)
President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the city in an effort to quell some of the unrest, much to the dismay of Democratic officials.
"It showed what [Newsom has] done. He's failed that state. He waited two days of that city burning and people getting hurt, officers being assaulted before he made any declaration of an unlawful assembly," Homan said.
"He's late to the game. President Trump isn't late to game. The men and women of ICE are not late to the game."
The violent protests erupted as ICE officials carried out plans to remove individuals illegally residing in the left-wing city, which dubbed itself a "sanctuary" for illegal immigrants in November before Trump was sworn back into the Oval Office.
A man on a motorcycle carries a Mexican flag as smoke rises from a burning car on Atlantic Boulevard, during a standoff by protesters and law enforcement, following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Los Angeles County city of Paramount, California, U.S., June 7, 2025. REUTERS/Barbara Davidson (REUTERS/Barbara Davidson)
Homan explained that ICE was serving criminal warrants at a business being investigated for money laundering, consumer fraud and "serious violations" of sending money to criminal cartels in Latin American countries.
ICE raids began on Friday, with Mayor Bass issuing a statement supporting illegal immigrants in the city and bucking the Trump administration's deportation efforts.
Newsom similarly criticized ICE efforts, branding the immigration raids "chaotic and reckless."
"Continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel. Donald Trump’s chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America’s economy," a statement from the governor read.
Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.