Press Releases

LOS ANGELES, CA – Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) issued the following statement in response to disturbing reports that immigrants showing up for routine check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles were detained and held in basement rooms — some overnight — under inhumane conditions:

“These are very disturbing reports from LA's Roybal Federal Building. Law-abiding asylum seekers — many with kids — are being detained after showing up for routine ICE check-ins. No food. No water. Locked in holding rooms for over 12 to 24 hours.

“These are not criminals. These are families who followed the rules. Filed the paperwork. Showed up on time. Instead, they're being treated like they broke the law just for seeking asylum.

“One attorney reports her client was held without food or water from 2pm through the next day. His wife and 2 kids waited 12+ hours with nothing. No water. No explanation.

“Overcrowding is so bad that women and children are being forced to sleep outside in tents. Meanwhile, the lights in the building shut off at 5pm. Families are sitting in pitch black.

“A 20-year-old woman is being held alone. Her mother was detained in transit. They’ve been checking in with ICE for years. Their asylum process was legal and based on abuse. They were days from a court date. Now—they’re detained, separated, and with their future in limbo.

“According to attorneys on site, ICE claims it can detain people indefinitely even if they have a legal stay. That means even if a court says they can’t be deported, ICE keeps them locked up anyway.

“This isn’t ‘just how the system works.’ This is a system breaking people. Bureaucracy weaponized against those who complied.

“DHS—I demand to go in to get answers. We need to know why law-abiding asylum seekers are being detained, separated, and treated like criminals.”

Rep. Gomez’s district includes downtown LA and the Roybal Federal Building where the detentions occurred. As the son of immigrants, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) has been a strong advocate for immigrant families. Rep. Gomez filed an amicus brief earlier this year urging the Court to uphold the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of citizenship. He’s a proud supporter of the Dream and Promise Act of 2025, which would provide a clear path to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients. He has called on the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately halt efforts to misuse confidential taxpayer data for immigration enforcement. He is also leading the effort to reinstate the Citizenship and Assimilation (C&A) Grant Program, which supports organizations that help legal residents become U.S. citizens.