A California man who voted for President Donald Trump is speaking out after being detained by immigration agents.
Brian Gavidia, a 29-year-old American citizen from Montebello, joined a lawsuit challenging immigration enforcement tactics after federal agents detained him on June 12, NBC 4 Los Angeles reported.
“I truly believe I was targeted because of my race,” Gavidia told the outlet, later adding, “We were all brainwashed.”
The Department of Homeland Security disputed his account. “While conducting a lawful immigration enforcement operation in Montebello, CA, Brian Gavidia was arrested for assaulting a law enforcement officer and interfering with agents during their duties,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek. She added that another man, Javier Ramirez, was briefly detained but released after officers confirmed his citizenship and cleared him of any warrants.
Why It Matters
Millions of Americans supported Trump for his promise to deport migrants living illegally in the U.S., especially those with criminal records. But as enforcement escalates, critics warn the administration isn’t strictly targeting the “worst first.”
Newsweek has documented multiple instances of Trump supporters being caught up in immigration raids.
What To Know
Gavidia told NBC 4 Los Angeles that during an enforcement operation in the San Gabriel Valley, an agent shoved him against a wall and demanded proof of citizenship, even asking him to name the hospital where he was born.
Footage shared on social media shows him shouting, “I was born here in the states, East LA bro!” while agents restrained him. According to Gavidia, they seized his Real ID and phone. Though his phone was returned, he said he never got his ID back.
Convinced he was targeted because of his Latino heritage, Gavidia said he regrets supporting the president. “I believe it was a mistake because he ran on lies,” he told the outlet. “He said criminals.”
He added: “If this was going to happen, do you think we would have voted? We’re humans. We’re not going to destroy our community. We were all manipulated. We were all brainwashed.”
Gavidia is one of seven plaintiffs in an ACLU lawsuit that led to a court order limiting when federal agents can carry out raids. The suit alleged agents focused their operations in areas where Latino workers often gather, such as car washes and outside Home Depot stores.
California has been a central battleground after Trump ordered federal agents to intensify arrests in Democratic-led cities.
On August 1, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a temporary restraining order that restricted immigration enforcement in Southern California. The court rejected the Trump administration’s request to lift the order while the case proceeds.
Under U.S. District Judge Maame E. Frimpong’s ruling, agents may not detain individuals unless they have reasonable suspicion the person is in the country unlawfully.
What People Are Saying
McLaughlin strongly rejected accusations of racial profiling. “Any allegations that individuals have been ‘targeted’ by law enforcement because of their skin color are FALSE,” she told Newsweek. “What makes someone a target is if they are in the United States illegally. These smears are designed to demonize our brave ICE officers.”
She added: “We will follow the President’s direction and continue to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off of America’s streets.”
Gavidia maintains he was profiled. “I believe I was attacked because I was walking while brown,” he told NBC 4 Los Angeles. “Where is the freedom? Where is the justice? We live in America. This is why I’m fighting today. This is why I’m protecting the Constitution.”
What Happens Next
Despite the legal limits, raids continue. The Trump administration has appealed the Ninth Circuit ruling, and the case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court, which will decide whether to maintain or overturn restrictions on immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
