DHS accuses House Democrats of meeting criminal illegal immigrant

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday accused several House Democrats of meeting with a criminal illegal immigrant in an ICE detention center, calling the visit a move by which they “chose to stand with criminal illegal aliens rather than American citizens.”

According to the department, four House Democrats — Reps. Juan Vargas, Mike Levin, Sara Jacobs and Scott Peters — went to the ICE field office in San Diego on Monday and asked to speak with the Honduran national, who has been accused of kidnapping and abusing his wife.

“Democrats have once again chosen to side with a criminal illegal alien over American citizens,” said Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “This criminal illegal alien that these Democratic lawmakers encountered has been charged with kidnapping and domestic violence.”

Peters’ office told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that lawmakers did not specifically request to speak with that inmate. The members allegedly asked to speak with “any inmate” during their monitoring visit and were brought to Rojas-Molina. The office added that DHS had not presented any evidence that the detainee had been convicted of such crimes.

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California Reps. Scott Peters, Juan Vargas, Mike Levin and Sara Jacobs attend a news conference after reporting they visited an immigrant detained at an ICE office in San Diego on November 24, 2025. (Representative Mike Levin/X)

“Members requested weeks ago to conduct an oversight visit, to ensure that due process is being followed and that everyone is receiving their legal rights,” said Communications Director Lena Jacobson. “They were finally allowed to do so yesterday. They did not request to speak with Mr. Rojas-Molina. There were three detainees present. The members requested to speak with any detainee. This is the person ICE presented to them. DHS has not provided any evidence to Rep. Peters’ office to show that Mr. Rojas-Molina was convicted of the crimes they claim he committed.”

McLaughlin described the representatives as “sanctuary politicians” who “continue to defame” efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to remove offenders from the country.

“These sanctuary politicians continue to smear law enforcement and falsely claim that ICE does not target the worst of the worst. It is disgusting that these sanctuary politicians continue to do what criminal illegal aliens want.”

Dennis Mauricio Rojas-Molina, deported from the United States ten years ago, was arrested in May on charges of kidnapping and domestic violence.

In the summer of 2015, during the Obama administration, Rojas-Molina was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol near Lukeville, Arizona, but was later released into the country. An immigration judge issued a final order of deportation several months after his arrest, and he was deported on October 14, 2015. He then re-entered the United States illegally at an unknown date and time.

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Dennis Mauricio Rojas-Molina is a Honduran national detained at the ICE San Diego Field Office. (Department of Homeland Security)

In a video posted Monday to Rep. Mike Levin’s X account featuring the four lawmakers at a news conference, Levin confirmed that they visited an inmate who was recently arrested, although he did not name the individual. He noted that the man had two children, aged 11 and 5.

“People like him need a path to stay,” Levin said of the inmates visited by representatives. “They need a path to legal status so they can continue to work hard and contribute positively to our economy. … We need to treat them better than that.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Reps. Juan Vargas, Mike Levin and Sara Jacobs for more information.

Representative Sara Jacobs speaks during a rally in front of the U.S. Capitol, December 9, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Paul Morigi for Taking Care of Generations)

DHS added that ICE continues to arrest the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal immigrants despite Democrats’ claims that the department is not prioritizing offenders, citing Rep. Sara Jacobs’ Monday X post stating, “ICE doesn’t go after criminals; they target your neighbors and friends.

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“Seventy percent of illegal aliens arrested by ICE have criminal convictions or are pending criminal charges in the United States,” DHS said, adding that the department continues to focus its enforcement efforts on murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, terrorists and other dangerous individuals.

The department also stressed that this figure does not reflect people wanted for crimes in other countries, those subject to Interpol notices or those facing human rights violations.