Contentious Remarks Spark Debate Among Lawmakers
Tom Homan, a prominent figure in border enforcement, criticized Democratic Illinois MP Delia Ramirez on Wednesday for her remarks at an international summit. Homan expressed disdain for her declaration of pride in being American while allegedly showing loyalty to Guatemala.
Ramirez had stated, in Spanish, during the Mexico City summit, “I used to be proud [she is] Americans,” which drew Homan’s ire. “I don’t agree with what she said. She’s our representative, a citizen of this country,” he remarked, emphasizing that her obligations should lie with her constituents. Homan interpreted her comments as favoring illegal immigrants from Guatemala.
Homan reaffirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would persist with significant deportation efforts until all undocumented individuals from Guatemala and elsewhere are removed from the U.S. He insisted, “We’re going to keep deporting thousands of Guatemalan citizens each week until all illegal foreigners from Guatemala are out of this country. That’s what voters expect, and that’s what we’re committed to.”
Ramirez, alongside other left-leaning lawmakers like Ilhan Omar from Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, attended the second annual Pan-American Congress, where they questioned U.S. global influence. Ramirez has faced backlash regarding her family’s immigration history, with accusations that her parents entered the U.S. illegally amid conflicts in Guatemala, which she framed as part of a larger narrative of “imperialism and militarization.”
Her situation is further complicated by the fact that her husband is also undocumented, a detail highlighted on her campaign website, where she describes herself as the only lawmaker in a “mixed-status marriage.”
The controversy prompted Republican Tennessee Representative Andy Ogles to call for her resignation and deportation, stating, “We know where her loyalty lies.”
Omar previously focused on her ties to Somalia, addressing a predominantly Somali audience and asserting her role in Congress as representative of Somali-Americans. This drew criticism as well, with Texas Republican Rep. Brandon Gill initiating a petition in February to expel her over a video supposedly advising undocumented immigrants on evading deportation under Trump’s policies.
