a day ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump mocks California congressman with digitally altered photo following ICE raid
The White House mocked a California member of Congress in a post on X Friday, and included a digitally altered photo of Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, without disclosing that the image was fake.
The post represents the latest example of fallout over an aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid of a legal marijuana farm in Camarillo (Ventura County) on Thursday, which provoked a chaotic backlash from community members.
The White House wrote on X that the ICE raid targeted an operation 'filled with illegal aliens' and mocked 'Cryin' Jimmy,' who it said defended the workers with the chaotically capitalized phrase 'JuSt StRaWbErRy PiCkErS.' Then it wrote, 'That ain't produce, homes. THAT'S PRODUCT.'
ICE: Raids marijuana farms filled with illegal aliens
Cryin' Jimmy: 'ThEy'Re JuSt StRaWbErRy PiCkErS :sob:'
That ain't produce, holmes. THAT'S PRODUCT. :herb:
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 11, 2025
The post came in response to Gomez's criticism of the raid. Gomez has described Central Valley farmworkers as essential laborers.
'How many MS-13 gang members are waking up at 3 a.m. to pick strawberries? O'yeah, zero!' Gomez wrote. 'Trump said he'd go after 'bad hombres,' but he's targeting the immigrant farm workers who feed America. Either he lied — or he can't tell the difference.'
In a video response posted on his Instagram account, Gomez showed an image of the White House post mocking him in the background, but did not respond directly to the image. He said the Trump administration had claimed the raid came in response to conerns that child laborers were being exploited. 'You know what, I don't believe they care about children, about child exploitation. Because if they did, you know what they have to do,' he said, pointing to text that said 'Release the Epstein List,' referring to the purported list of former clients of Jeffrey Epstein.
The posts followed another angry social media exchange over the Camarillo raid, in which Gov. Gavin Newsom excoriated the Libs of TikTok account as a 's— poster.'
The account had posted a widely circulated video purporting to show a protestor in Camarillo pointing a weapon at ICE officers, and questioned whether Newsom would condemn such an action.
'Of course I condemn any assault on law enforcement, you s— poster,' Newsom responded to the Libs of TikTok account. 'Now do Jan. 6.'
Federal agents descended on Glass House Farms in Camarillo on Thursday in the midmorning, and eventually attracted a large crowd of protesters and onlookers. The operation included members of the National Guard, according to the Los Angeles Times. President Donald Trump mobilized the California National Guard last month in order to quell protests over similar raids in Los Angeles.
The Camarillo raid was just the latest in a series of forceful actions by federal agencies intended to ensnare undocumented residents in Southern California.
