The White House took a jab at Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif) in a social media post on Friday as lawmakers voiced their concerns over federal immigration raids at a cannabis farm in Southern California.
The official White House account on X shared images and referred to Gomez as “Crying Jimmy,” highlighting his remarks about the situation.
The post read: “ICE: Attack on a marijuana farm filled with illegal aliens,” followed by Gomez’s comment, “They’re just strawberry pickers,” an apparent nod to the discourse surrounding the issue.
The White House added, “It’s not produce, Holmes. It’s a product,” possibly reflecting their stance on cannabis cultivation.
Gomez has previously accused President Trump of misrepresenting the motivations behind the administration’s deportation raids, asserting that they’re not merely targeting criminals. Earlier this week, Trump had announced a new initiative aimed at supporting the agricultural sector while rejecting a proposed pardon program for immigrant workers.
In a post on Friday, Gomez questioned, “Do MS-13 gang members wake up at 3 a.m. to choose strawberries? Oh, yeah, zero!” He continued, “Trump says he’s hunting ‘bad hombres,’ but he’s really targeting immigrant farm workers who supply our food. He’s either lying or can’t tell the difference.”
The raid involved immigration agents and members of the National Guard, resulting in dozens of arrests, including undocumented minors. Videos surfaced showing the confrontation with protesters amid the raid that reportedly included tear gas deployment by local officials in Camarillo, California.
Vice President Vance and other officials responded to Gomez’s comments, asserting the importance of enforcing laws regarding labor on cannabis farms. Vance tweeted back at Gomez, defending the actions taken.
White House Communications Director Stephen Chan echoed the sentiment regarding Gomez, hinting that his comments were questionable by referring to the cannabis situation he tried to address.
Post-raid, Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott noted that they had identified minors working illegally at the facility and stated they are investigating potential child labor violations.
The cannabis business stated that they complied with the federal search warrant but denied hiring minors, claiming they have not intentionally broken any employment laws.
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized Trump’s actions, labeling him a “real scum” in response to the raid and shared footage of the ensuing protests.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) replied to Newsom’s remarks, questioning the presence of minors at the marijuana facility, signaling ongoing scrutiny of labor practices in the cannabis industry.
