Four California House Democrats are facing scrutiny after visiting an ICE detention facility in San Diego and meeting with a Honduran national recently arrested on kidnapping and domestic abuse charges, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release.
DHS said the lawmakers — Reps. Juan Vargas, Mike Levin, Sara Jacobs, and Scott Peters — “requested to speak with” Dennis Mauricio Rojas-Molina during their November 24 oversight visit to the ICE San Diego Field Office. Rojas-Molina, a previously removed Honduran national, was arrested by the San Diego Sheriff’s Office on May 3, 2025, for kidnapping and battery of a spouse.
According to DHS, Rojas-Molina was first arrested by U.S. Border Patrol near Lukeville, Arizona, on June 16, 2015, before being released into the United States “by the Obama administration.” An immigration judge issued a final removal order on October 2, 2015, and he was deported on October 14, 2015. DHS said he later reentered the country illegally at an unknown date and time.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin sharply criticized the lawmakers’ visit.
“Democrats once again chose to stand with a criminal illegal alien over American citizens,” McLaughlin said in the DHS release. “This criminal illegal alien these Democrat lawmakers met with has been charged with kidnapping and domestic abuse. It begs the question: have they met with his victim? These sanctuary politicians continue to smear law enforcement and falsely claim ICE is not targeting the worst of the worst. It’s disgusting that these sanctuary politicians continue to do the bidding of criminal illegal aliens.”
Fox News reported that offices for Peters and Levin disputed DHS’ characterization, saying the members did not specifically request to meet with Rojas-Molina.
Peters’ Communications Director Lena Jacobson told Fox News Digital the delegation “asked to speak with any detainee” during their oversight tour and that “ICE presented” Rojas-Molina. She also noted that DHS “has not provided any evidence” showing he had been convicted of the alleged crimes.
A spokesperson for Rep. Levin similarly told Fox that “Mr. Rojas-Molina was made available to speak to the group without specific information pertaining to the nature of his detention or any crimes he may have previously committed.” The spokesperson said Levin supports due process for all detainees and believes “if they are found to be violent criminals they should be deported.”
At a news conference posted to Levin’s X account, the four lawmakers confirmed they met with a detainee who had recently been arrested, though they did not name him. Levin added that the individual they spoke with has two children — ages 11 and 5 — and argued that “folks like him need a path to stay” and obtain legal status.
DHS pushed back on recent criticism from Democratic lawmakers, noting its enforcement efforts remain targeted at “the worst of the worst” offenders. The department said 70% of ICE arrests involve individuals with criminal convictions or pending charges in the United States, including murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, terrorists, and other dangerous offenders.
Texas Republicans criticized the Democrats’ visit.
“By every metric America has been harmed by mass immigration,” Texas Railroad Commission candidate Bo French told The Dallas Express. “They are taking jobs from Americans, committing crime, and destroying our culture.”
“We need mass deportations immediately,” State Board of Education member Brandon Hall told The Dallas Express. “Democrats care more about bringing in new blue voters and defending illegal aliens than protecting the American people.”
The Dallas Express contacted Reps. Peters, Vargas, Jacobs, and Levin for comment but did not receive a response.