Dem Rep. Gomez claims ICE is targeting ‘anybody that is Brown’

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., claimed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are arresting anyone who is Brown and “looks like [him]” on CNN Tuesday.

Gomez was asked on “CNN News Central” about his thoughts on an immigration raid that took place in an area near MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on Monday. He likened it to traveling to Mexico and other foreign countries, where he saw “people with big guns” everywhere patrolling the streets.

Gomez denied that ICE officers were seeking criminals or MS-13 gang members and said their goal was only to scare people by going after the Hispanic community.

“There is this deep fear that’s building and building and building, because here’s the thing, they are not going after criminals,” Gomez said. “They’re going after anybody that is Brown, that looks like me, that can’t pass as, what they say, as a ‘typical American.’ That’s why you’re getting people who are not undocumented actually arrested. That’s the fear that exists, that anybody, doesn’t matter if you’re a citizen or not, could be arrested and held in detainment for a number of days.” 

He accused President Donald Trump of using Los Angeles and California as an example for other states because of how they’ve embraced immigrants. The California congressman added that he will not “bend the knee” and plans to use his position to push back on the Trump administration.

“We know that one of the things that we want to do is make sure that people see and understand what‘s happening. The fact that who he’s going after, that they’re not criminals. These are people that oftentimes have no criminal record. He’s going after children. And we know that this is starting to eat away at his base. It’s highly unpopular,” Gomez said.

Fox News Digital reached out to ICE for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The raid targeted an area in the city’s Westlake neighborhood, which is heavily Hispanic and has a heavy MS-13 influence. U.S. Border Patrol agents were seen on horseback in the park and law enforcement and military-looking vehicles were stationed in the area. Fox Los Angeles reported that no arrests were made.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a vocal opponent of immigration raids in the city, was on the scene and demanded to speak with ICE leadership.

“They need to leave, and they need to leave right now. They need to leave because this is unacceptable!” Bass said.

She later attacked the raid as “absolutely outrageous” on social media.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.