Federal agents gathered in Downtown Los Angeles on Thursday during a scheduled press conference by California Governor Gavin Newsom, according to local reports.

Newsom had been set to deliver remarks at the Japanese American National Museum in the Little Tokyo district, KTLA5 reported.

At approximately the same time, about 100 federal agents assembled in the surrounding area for what was described as an immigration enforcement operation.

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The Los Angeles Police Department issued a public advisory warning of traffic disruptions in the vicinity due to the federal activity.

Newsom’s press office addressed the operation on social media, writing, “BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!”

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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the timing of the enforcement action, suggesting it was aimed at undermining Newsom.

“There’s no way this was a coincidence,” Bass told reporters.

“They decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governor’s face. Why would you do that? That is unbelievably disrespectful, it’s a provocative act. They’re talking about disorder in Los Angeles, and they are the source of the disorder in Los Angeles right now.”

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Officials from the Department of Homeland Security disputed that account.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the presence of Customs and Border Protection personnel was unrelated to the governor’s event.

“CBP patrols all areas of Los Angeles every day with over 40 teams on the ground to make LA safe,” McLaughlin stated.

“Our law enforcement operations are about enforcing the law—not about Gavin Newsom.”

The specific details of the immigration enforcement action were not immediately disclosed.

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Federal agencies, including CBP, regularly conduct operations across the Los Angeles area targeting individuals in violation of U.S. immigration laws.

Neither CBP nor DHS provided further comment on the outcome of the operation in Little Tokyo.

The governor’s office did not respond to additional questions regarding whether the press conference was altered or delayed as a result of the activity outside the venue.

Local law enforcement said they were not involved in the federal operation beyond assisting with traffic control in the area.

The LAPD confirmed that the agency was notified of the activity to help mitigate congestion in the surrounding streets.

The event highlights ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement agencies and California state leadership.

Newsom has been a vocal critic of certain federal immigration policies and has repeatedly defended state sanctuary laws that limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

The timing and proximity of the federal operation to the governor’s appearance prompted public statements from city and state officials, as well as clarification from federal authorities that the enforcement action was part of routine operations.

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