Gavin Newsom slammed after he posts video of women and children fleeing ICE raid, calls Trump ‘real scum’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: California Governor Gavin Newsom sparked intense online backlash on Thursday, July 10, after posting a video showing women and children fleeing federal immigration agents during a raid in Southern California.

The footage, which captured scenes of fear and panic, was intended to criticize President Donald Trump, but quickly became a flashpoint of controversy itself.

The governor’s post came amid federal raids on some of the state's cannabis farms, which immigration authorities claim were employing undocumented workers.

While the operation prompted widespread concern among immigrant rights groups and local officials, Newsom’s choice of words and timing drew a wave of trolling and criticism online.

Gavin Newsom slams Donald Trump by sharing video of women and children fleeing ICE raid

In a strongly worded statement on X (formerly Twitter), Gavin Newsom wrote, “Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields. Trump calls me ‘Newscum’ — but he’s the real scum.”

The post was accompanied by a video showing children running from clouds of tear gas as agents in tactical gear moved in.

The footage, which quickly spread across social media, captured the emotional toll of the raid, but also triggered mockery from critics who accused Newsom of exploiting the situation for political theater.

Within hours, the governor’s post was met with a flood of sarcastic responses, memes, and accusations of hypocrisy. Despite the trolling, Newsom stood by his post, which was widely shared by progressive advocates but dismissed by some centrist and conservative voices as “performative outrage.”

Internet blast Gavin Newsom over ICE raid post

Gavin Newsom's post, which appeared to focus on the actions of federal agents, drew sharp condemnation from users who questioned his silence on child labor and reported violence during the operation. 

One questioned, “Why are there children working on a weed farm, Gavin?” and another said, “Gavin thinks stopping child slavery in his state’s weed fields is wrong.”

A person claimed, "They shouldn’t have violently attacked law enforcement," while someone else wrote, “You were asked to cooperate with ICE in handing over all the criminals and ending sanctuary state policies. You refused. They weren’t bluffing. And now they’re all being deported. RESIGN.”

“Yeah, enforcing the law is so scummy — how dare he!!” another tweet read. 

In the Daily Mail’s comment section, readers also expressed outrage, though more focused on the reported violence during the raid.

One commenter wrote, “If you are shooting at cops, you are not a protestor. If you are using violence for political change, you are a terrorist by definition.”

Another added, “Time to start arresting and prosecuting each & every protester carrying or throwing any sort of weapon, or harming any agent. Get serious & this nonsense will stop.”

"Firing at officers? You have to be seriously thick to think that’s your best move," an individual mentioned. 

Immigrant rights groups condemn ICE raids on California cannabis sites as unnecessarily aggressive

The raid that prompted Gavin Newsom’s post reportedly took place at multiple cannabis cultivation sites owned by Glass House Farms, including a 5.5 million-square-foot facility in Camarillo and another in Carpinteria.

Helicopter footage showed federal agents deploying tear gas and crowd control rounds to disperse protesters at the scene.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, agents were “executing criminal search warrants” during the operation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials were reportedly among those involved, although the full list of participating agencies remains unclear.

Some video clips aired by local media appeared to show military-style armored vehicles deployed during the raid.

Rodney Scott, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, informed on social media that ten juveniles were found at one of the raided facilities, eight of whom were unaccompanied and in the country illegally.

The Camarillo raid was part of a broader series of ICE operations across the state, which have sparked protests and growing concern in immigrant communities.

The use of tear gas and crowd dispersal tactics triggered especially fierce outrage after video emerged showing terrified women and children fleeing white clouds of gas while shouting for help.

Immigrant rights groups and some lawmakers have condemned the raids as unnecessarily aggressive, and civil rights attorneys are reportedly preparing new legal challenges against the Trump-era policies being enforced.

The Ventura County Fire Department confirmed that its personnel responded only for medical support and were not involved in immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, the FBI said that during the chaos in Camarillo, a protester appeared to fire a pistol at law enforcement officers. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.