A California congressman has ignited controversy by suggesting President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement rhetoric could ultimately affect the first lady herself. The pointed criticism came after Trump called for even more aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Los Angeles.
Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who represents portions of Los Angeles that have experienced significant ICE activity throughout 2025, expressed disbelief at Trump’s assertion that current enforcement efforts have not gone far enough. On Monday, November 3, 2025, Gomez posted on social media his shock at the president’s position, writing: “Haven’t gone far enough?? Any further, and ICE will be deporting Melania…”
The inflammatory remark appeared to reference First Lady Melania Trump’s immigrant background, using it as a rhetorical device to criticize what Gomez views as excessive enforcement measures. The 79-year-old president has maintained that immigration raids in the Los Angeles area require further escalation, a stance that has drawn sharp opposition from Democratic lawmakers representing affected communities.
Gomez’s district encompasses downtown Los Angeles, including the Roybal Federal Building, which has become a focal point for immigration enforcement controversies this year. In June 2025, the congressman issued statements regarding disturbing reports from the facility, where immigrants appearing for routine ICE check-ins were allegedly detained and held in basement rooms under what he described as inhumane conditions.
According to Gomez’s June statement, law-abiding asylum seekers, including families with children, were being detained after showing up for scheduled appointments. He indicated that detainees were held without food or water, locked in holding rooms for 12 to 24 hours. One attorney reported her client was held from 2 p.m. through the following day without provisions, while his wife and two children waited for over 12 hours with nothing.
The congressman described conditions where overcrowding forced women and children to sleep outside in tents, while building lights shut off at 5 p.m., leaving families sitting in darkness. He emphasized that these individuals were not criminals but families who had followed proper procedures, filed necessary paperwork, and appeared on time for their appointments.
In August 2025, Gomez joined fellow Democratic Congress members on an inspection visit to the B-18 processing center in the basement of the downtown facility. After months of denied access, the lawmakers finally entered the space on Monday, August 11, 2025, but found it nearly empty with only two detainees present.
The representatives accused ICE of deliberately sanitizing conditions before their arrival. Gomez stated that the government wanted to show them nothing, describing the scene as deliberately arranged to prevent proper congressional oversight. The facility, designed to hold up to 335 migrants, appeared sparse during their scheduled visit, which had required days of advance planning and notice.
Earlier in June 2025, Gomez and other California representatives, including Maxine Waters and Norma Torres, were denied access to federal detention centers in Los Angeles. The lawmakers argued they should have been permitted entry as members of Congress to conduct oversight and check on detained individuals.
The son of immigrants himself, Gomez has been a vocal advocate for immigrant families throughout his tenure. He has supported the Dream and Promise Act of 2025, which would provide citizenship pathways for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure recipients. He has also called on the IRS and Department of Homeland Security to halt efforts to misuse confidential taxpayer data for immigration enforcement purposes.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin disputed claims about poor conditions at ICE facilities, stating the agency maintains higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons. She denied that individuals fail to receive medical care and contested suggestions about extended detention periods, characterizing complaints about facilities being too clean as political posturing.
Since early June 2025, scores of migrants and some U.S. citizens have been taken from Home Depot parking lots, car washes, and other locations by masked and heavily armed agents. Some detainees reported overcrowding and being held for multiple days beyond the standard 72-hour processing period, with allegations of receiving only one meal daily and lacking basic hygiene supplies.
The Roybal Federal Building detention facility, known as B-18, features nine holding rooms with concrete floors and no beds. Advocates and attorneys representing detainees have reported instances of individuals being held for up to 12 days in conditions they describe as inadequate for extended stays.
