Newsom Urges California Law Enforcement To Investigate Possible Federal Agent Crimes

SACRAMENTO, California — Gavin Newsom called on California law enforcement agencies on Tuesday to exercise their “full authority” in investigating possible crimes involving federal agents amid a national uproar over the killing of two people by federal agents in Minnesota.

The California governor and state Attorney General Rob Bonta released a bulletin to state and local law enforcement reminding agencies of their “concurrent jurisdiction.”

“Federal and state law enforcement have long collaborated on investigations that result in both federal and state criminal charges, with a presumption that neither law enforcement agency will obstruct the other’s investigations or thwart the objective pursuit of justice,” the governor’s office said in a news release.

Newsom — a likely 2028 presidential contender — released the bulletin after federal agents killed Alex Pretti on Saturday in Minneapolis, just weeks after the fatal shooting of Renee Good. Minnesota officials have said the Trump administration is impeding them from investigating the shootings.

“Our local and state law enforcement are the front line for ensuring due process and public trust,” Newsom said in a statement. “Every state and local agency must remember its role, exercise its full authority, and always ensure the protection of the people of this state.”

California has been an ongoing front in Trump’s immigration crackdown, even as focus shifted more recently elsewhere, including to Minnesota. An off-duty U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a man in Northridge on New Year’s Eve. Two Orange County protesters say Homeland Security officers shot them in the face this month with less-lethal rounds, permanently damaging their vision.

Following the weekend shooting in Minneapolis, California state senators on Tuesday advanced a bill that would strengthen residents' ability to sue federal agents. Another pending bill would require the attorney general to investigate shootings involving federal immigration officers.