Press Releases

LOS ANGELES, CA — Yesterday, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), in partnership with the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic, hosted a Legal Observer Information Session in Downtown Los Angeles to educate community members on how to safely and effectively document immigration enforcement actions and protect their First Amendment rights.

The training comes amid a sharp escalation in immigration raids across Los Angeles and the country, and follows the recent killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom were acting as legal observers when they were shot and killed by federal agents.

“Legal observers play a critical role in our democracy,” said Rep. Gomez. "If Donald Trump and Republicans in power see an opportunity to lie about the facts of an incident, we've already seen that they will. Legal observers are there to make sure the truth is preserved, and the facts are not swept under the rug.”

During the session, attorneys and law students from the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic walked attendees through best practices for observing immigration enforcement actions, how to document interactions without interfering or escalating, and how to protect themselves and others while exercising their constitutional rights.

The event drew community organizations, nonprofit partners, and concerned residents seeking tools to protect their neighbors as enforcement activity intensifies.
The Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic has served nearly 15,000 noncitizen clients and trains law students to provide free immigration legal services to East Los Angeles communities.

Rep. Gomez emphasized that this training is only the beginning, and that additional community-facing events are planned as his office continues pushing for oversight, accountability, and an end to Donald Trump's unchecked national police force that puts lives at risk.