California Democrats call on Republicans to speak out in wake of Minneapolis shooting
Democratic lawmakers packed into a news conference on Monday with signs reading "ICE out now" and "California Stands with Minnesota" and called on the state's Republicans for support.
California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Monterey, led the packed room of Democratic lawmakers.
"It seems like our very right to life is under attack," Rivas said. "And to every California Republican, I have this message: We need you to speak out. You cannot watch these videos coming out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and think that this is acceptable."
They also called for funding cuts to ICE in response to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents.
California Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, calls the killing tragic, but also calls out Democrats for rhetoric he says is creating a hostile environment.
"When I watch that video, it looks terrible to me, absolutely," Gallagher said. "To then paint all of ICE and Homeland Security and Border Patrol with a broad brush is wrong, and it's a dangerous narrative."
President Trump's FBI director, Kash Patel, suggested on Fox News that Pretti was breaking the law by carrying a legally-permitted firearm to a protest; meanwhile, Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem have called Pretti a "domestic terrorist."
Kostas Moros, director of research for the Second Amendment Foundation, and other Second Amendment advocates have been pushing back on that.
"It's nonsense," Moros said. "These statements, they were calling him a 'terrorist,' an 'assassin,' unless I see something, I see some incredible evidence to the contrary, so far there is nothing to justify that."
California Democratic lawmakers have already banned federal agents from wearing masks starting this year. A new bill would allow Californians to sue federal officers for violating civil rights.
Governor Gavin Newsom is also re-launching a new "federal agent misconduct" web portal, allowing Californians to submit claims and upload their own videos. That portal went live last month.
So far, neither the Governor's office nor the Attorney General has said how many claims have been submitted.
