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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 12 February 2019
California gov. rebukes Trump

in border troop withdrawal

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE gration enforcement. ing his campaign that he
Associated Press Newsom's rebuke of Re- did not support the use of
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — publican President Don- California Guard troops
California Gov. Gavin New- ald Trump's administration at the border. He took ac-
som said Monday he's with- came on the eve of New- tion about a month into his
drawing most of the state's som's first state of the state governorship because he
National Guard troops on address as governor of the wanted to responsibly re-
the Mexico border be- nation's most populous view the issue, he said.
cause he won't participate state and frequent foil to He initially wanted to pull all
in the Trump administra- Washington. In announc- of California's troops back
tion's "absurd theatrics" on ing his decision to withdraw but said he was convinced
border security. troops, the governor ratch- by Guard officials that
Still, he acknowledged eted up his rhetoric against good work is being done
some troops were doing the president. related to combating drug
good work fighting drug "This whole thing is the the- trafficking. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, center, accompanied by from
crime and said he plans to ater of the absurd and Cali- If the Trump administration left, Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Governor's Of-
allow 100 of the roughly 360 fornia has had enough," he does not agree to New- fice of Emergency Services, Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, the Adju-
state troops now deployed said. som's new terms "we'll bring tant General of the California Military Department, Warren Stan-
to keep working with the The Trump administration the rest back," he said. ley, Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, right, and
Thom Porter, director of the California Department of Forestry
federal government. hasn't commented. Trump Newsom's move came and Fire Protection, right, during a Capitol news conference
"I'm trying to acknowledge and Vice President Mike on the heels of a decision Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif.
there are some legitimate Pence held a meeting by New Mexico Gov. Mi- Associated Press
concerns but I'm not going Monday on border security chelle Lujan Grisham, also
to play into the hype and with sheriffs from around a Democrat, to pull back Guard's resources are best
the politics," he told report- the country. Sheriff Donny her state's troops from the spent tackling those activi-
ers before signing an exec- Youngblood of California's border. ties, he argued.
utive order changing the Kern County was in atten- Newsom's Monday order Texas and Arizona still have
troops' mission. dance, according to the said the increase in Central troops on the border.
Former Gov. Jerry Brown White House. American migrants cross- The 360 troops are a frac-
agreed in April to deploy The drawdown of Califor- ing the border is the result tion of the roughly 14,000
up to 400 troops to the bor- nia's troops will begin im- of a desire to escape vio- that have been deployed
der in response to a request mediately but may not be lence and repression fu- throughout California for
from the Trump administra- completed until March 31, eled in part by the activities various operations since
tion made to four border when the state's current of transnational crime or- 2016, according to New-
states. Brown made it clear agreement with the federal ganizations. The California som's office.q
then that California troops government is set to end.
couldn't aid in immigration Newsom has reassigned
enforcement, but Newsom roughly 110 of the troops
said there's been a "gray to beef up California's fire
area" in their duties. preparation efforts ahead
Maj. Gen. David Baldwin of the next wildfire season
of the California National and to expand the guard's
Guard said the troops counterdrug task force
have not participated in program. The expansion
immigration detention but requires approval from the
some are conducting cam- U.S. Department of De-
era surveillance that could fense.
inadvertently aid in immi- Newsom made clear dur-