(WASHINGTON) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he is moving forward with putting proposed new congressional maps for the state on the ballot on a Nov. 4 special election in an attempt to counter mid-decade redistricting being pushed by Republicans in Texas.
"I know they say 'Don't mess with Texas.' Well, don't mess with the great Golden State," Newsom said at a news conference, flanked by Democratic members of Congress and California union leaders.
"We're doing this in reaction to a president of the United States that called a sitting governor of the state of Texas and said, 'Find me five seats,'" he added later.
He said the state government will affirm its commitment to the state's independent redistricting commission after the 2030 census, "but we're asking the voters for their consent to do midterm redistricting in 2026, 2028 and 2030 for the congressional maps to respond to what's happening in Texas … and we'll do so in a way that also affirms our desire as a state to level the playing field all across the United States."
In a campaign video released concurrently with his announcement, Newsom framed the issue in stark terms.
"It is a five-alarm fire for democracy in the United States of America. Donald Trump, who is trying to light a torch on democracy, continues to try to rig the election," Newsom says in the video.
As the governor was speaking, federal agents appeared to be conducting an immigration enforcement operation outside of the venue.
“Where are we? We are at Democracy Center and right outside at this exact moment? There are dozens and dozens of ICE agents, you Donald Trump, you think it's coincidental? Donald Trump and his minions, Tom Homan, tough guy, clearly decided, coincidentally or not, that this was a location to advance ICE arrests,” said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said there was "no way" the operation was a coincidence.
"This was widely publicized that the governor and many of our elected officials were having a press conference here to talk about redistricting. And they decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governor’s face," she said. "Why would you do that? It’s 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. This is just completely unacceptable."
ABC News has reached out to Customs and Border Protection for comment.
The California legislature will have to pass legislation to put the maps on the ballot.
Speaking to reporters after the announcement, Newsom said California won't move forward with its mid-decade redistricting plans if Republican-run states considering redistricting don't move forward with redrawing their own maps.
"This does not go forward -- I want to remind everybody -- unless one of these other states move forward, there's still an exit ramp -- not just Texas, but Missouri, as I mentioned, or Florida, Indiana, these other states that are considering doing the unprecedented, rigging their elections with midterm redistricting. So we're hopeful they don't move forward. If that's the case, this effort will not be necessary. But we're not waiting," he said.
Republicans are criticizing Newsom's move as political.
"Gavin Newsom's latest stunt has nothing to do with Californians and everything to do with consolidating radical Democrat power, silencing California voters, and propping up his pathetic 2028 presidential pipe dream," National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez said in a statement ahead of the press conference.
"Newsom's made it clear: he'll shred California's Constitution and trample over democracy -- running a cynical, self-serving playbook where Californians are an afterthought and power is the only priority."