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Newsom, state officials silent on anti-Israel protests at UCLA

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Newsom, state officials silent on anti-Israel protests at UCLA

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and other state officials running to replace him after his term is up have refrained from commenting on the anti-Israel protests at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley.

Newsom has not released a statement about his stance on the campus protests, as of Wednesday morning.

The governor was asked about the demonstrations during a news conference on a different topic on Tuesday, when he said he and other state officials were “working with the [UC] trustees,” according to KNBC.

“We want to maintain the right to protest without any hate,” Newsom said.

VIDEO SHOWS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS BLOCK JEWISH STUDENT FROM GETTING TO CLASS; UCLA RESPONDS

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Newsom’s office has not released a statement on the campus protests. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Members of the UC Regents, including Democratic gubernatorial candidates Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmon declined to comment to KNBC. State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas also declined to comment on the campus protests.

Republicans have openly criticized campus protests in California and across the country, condemning them as antisemitic. But Newsom and his Democratic colleagues have attempted to avoid the subject.

Violence ensued at UCLA late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as anti-Israel and pro-Israel demonstrators clashed. Fights broke out, items were thrown and fireworks and what appeared to be pepper spray were deployed.

Dozens of pro-Israeli counter-protestors arrived at around 10:45 p.m. and attempted to dismantle parts of the anti-Israel encampment on UCLA’s campus before deploying fireworks and what appeared to be pepper spray, according to KTLA.

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Campus police, along with some medical personnel, showed up at the scene briefly before leaving. But local and state police were noticeably absent from UCLA’s campus initially, for about two hours, amid the violence.

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY REVEALS ‘TRUE COST’ OF ANTI-ISRAEL MOB THAT TOOK OVER ACADEMIC BUILDINGS

Violence ensued at UCLA late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as anti-Israel and pro-Israel demonstrators clashed. (Getty Images)

Los Angeles Police eventually responded to the scene at about 1 a.m. local time.

Newsom’s press office said Wednesday morning on X: “Our office is closely monitoring the situation at @UCLA. Law enforcement leaders are in contact this evening and resources are being mobilized.”

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On Monday, a student wearing a necklace with the Star of David was seen on video attempting to walk to class when a wall of what appeared to be masked anti-Israel protesters blocked him from passing through.

“You guys have closed the entrance. We are UCLA students. I have my ID right here. I’m being blocked off, not by the security guard, but by you three,” Eli Tsives said in the video as he walked up to a fenced area with a security guard present. “They’re making a barrier wall. I’m going this way.”

UCLA Vice Chancellor of Strategic Communications Mary Osako issued a statement Tuesday in response to several physical altercations on the campus. She said the university took several actions in response to the altercations, including the addition of more campus law enforcement, safety personnel and student affairs monitors.

Republicans have openly criticized campus protests in California and across the country. (Getty Images)

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Osako also responded to a report of a student being blocked by demonstrators on Monday while attempting to walk to class.

“This kind of disruption to our teaching and learning mission is abhorrent, plain and simple,” Osako said. “As such, we’ve taken several, immediate actions: Our student conduct process has been initiated and could lead to severe disciplinary action including expulsion or suspension. The barriers that demonstrators used to block this student’s access to class have been removed, and we have staff located around Royce Quad to help ensure that they will not go up again. We have also engaged law enforcement to investigate.”

“While the demonstration remains largely peaceful, our campus must remain a place where we treat one another with respect and recognize our shared humanity — not a place where we devolve into violence and bullying,” she added.

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Video: Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments

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Video: Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments

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Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments

Minnesota and Illinois filed federal lawsuits against the Trump administration, claiming that the deployment of immigration agents to the Minneapolis and Chicago areas violated states’ rights.

This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop. We ask the courts to end the D.H.S. unlawful behavior in our state. The intimidation, the threats, the violence. We ask the courts to end the tactics on our places of worship, our schools, our courts, our marketplaces, our hospitals and even funeral homes.

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Minnesota and Illinois filed federal lawsuits against the Trump administration, claiming that the deployment of immigration agents to the Minneapolis and Chicago areas violated states’ rights.

By Jackeline Luna

January 12, 2026

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Rep Ro Khanna demands prosecution of ICE agent in Minneapolis fatal shooting

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Rep Ro Khanna demands prosecution of ICE agent in Minneapolis fatal shooting

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Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., called for the arrest and prosecution of the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good in a residential neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota on Jan. 7.

Khanna also urged Congress to back his legislation with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to require ICE agents to wear body cameras, display visible identification, stop wearing masks during operations and be subject to independent oversight.

In a post shared on X, the former Obama administration official said: “I am calling for the arrest and prosecution of the ICE agent that shot and killed Renee Good.”

“I am also calling on Congress to support my bill with @JasmineForUS to force ICE agents to wear body cameras, not wear masks, have visible identification, and ensure ICE has independent oversight,” Khanna added.

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MINNESOTA BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION DROPS OUT OF ICE-INVOLVED SHOOTING INVESTIGATION

An ICE agent shot and killed the 37-year-old Minneapolis woman during a federal enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. Federal officials have said agents were attempting to make arrests when the woman tried to use her vehicle as a weapon against officers, prompting an ICE agent to fire in self-defense.

Good’s death sparked widespread protests in Minneapolis and across the U.S. as demonstrators called for changes to federal immigration enforcement.

Renee Nicole Good moments before she was shot and killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis.  (Obtained by Fox News)

Local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, criticized the federal account of the incident and rejected the claim that the officer acted in self-defense. Minnesota has since sued the Trump administration, claiming the immigration enforcement surge in the state is “unlawful” and “unprecedented.”

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“What we are seeing right now is not normal immigration enforcement,” Frey said. “The scale is wildly disproportionate, and it has nothing to do with keeping people safe.”

The Trump administration pushed back sharply against the lawsuit, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accusing Minnesota leaders of undermining public safety and obstructing federal law enforcement.

MINNESOTA SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER SWEEPING IMMIGRATION RAIDS IN TWIN CITIES

Federal officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, maintained that the agent fired in self-defense.

Renee Good’s crashed car after the shooting. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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Noem critisized Democrats on Sunday amid an Illinois lawmaker’s push to impeach her following the deadly shooting.

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“These law enforcement officers are trained to be in situations that are dangerous, and they rely on that training each and every day to make the right decisions,” Noem said during “Sunday Morning Futures.” 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

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Democrat-turned-Republican Gloria Romero announces run for lieutenant governor

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Democrat-turned-Republican Gloria Romero announces run for lieutenant governor

Gloria Romero, a former Democrat and state Senate Majority Leader, announced Monday she is running for lieutenant governor as part of a ticket with GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator.

“At the end of the day, it’s really about one-party rule in Sacramento. I’ve seen it. I left it,” Romero said in an interview. “We’ve got to make a change, otherwise we will never turn around on accountability or affordability and fight for working families like the Democrats once said the party stood for. Those days are gone. It’s a new day, and I’m proud to work alongside Steve in this exciting race to make California Golden again.”

Hilton, who has a long-standing political relationship with Romero, said her expertise in the state Capitol is among the reasons he selected her. Romero served in the state Senate and Assembly for about 12 years, including three as the state Senate’s first female majority leader.

“She’s been incredibly helpful already, helping me understand how Sacramento works and doesn’t work,” Hilton said. “When I’m the governor I will have to work with the legislature. And one of the most important things that I see as a real benefit from having Gloria there with me is that she’s not just been in the legislature, she’s led one of the chambers. She really understands how it works and still has relationships.”

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Other candidates running for lieutenant governor include Treasurer Fiona Ma, former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs and Josh Fryday, a member of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s cabinet, all Democrats, and state Sen. Brian Jones (R-Santee).

Romero was a lifelong Democrat, including co-chairing President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign in California. But she began to break with her party over education reform, notably her support for school choice.

“Education is the key to the American dream, and yet my party was so beholden to the teachers union, the alphabet soup of power influencers in Sacramento,” she said.

Invoking the words of the late President Reagan, Romero said she didn’t leave the Democratic party, the party left her. She became a registered Republican in September 2024 after what she calls a “political coup” to oust President Biden as the Democratic nominee. She then endorsed President Trump and spoke at a rally supporting him near Coachella.

She said the lieutenant governor’s role is typically a sleepy perch for politicians as they bide their time to run for higher office.

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“It should not be that way,” Romero said, adding that the lieutenant governor’s role on the boards that oversee the UCs, Cal States and community college is a particularly good fit for her wheelhouse. “Education and turning around education, it’s in my blood, it’s in my dreams. It’s my passion.”

Unlike presidential elections, statewide contests do not feature running mates; each candidate must be elected on their own merits.

Hilton said Romero was the first member of his “golden ticket for California” and that he planned to roll out other statewide candidates who will join their effort.

“I know it hasn’t been done before. It’s not how things are normally done,” he said. “But right from the beginning, when I was thinking about my race for governor, one of the things that I really wanted to do was to put together a strong team, because turning around California is going to take a strong team.”

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