Democratic California Rep. Sara Jacobs staged a protest against the deportation of undocumented immigrants in her congressional district by dining at an upscale Italian restaurant over the weekend.
Jacobs, a three-term lawmaker and an heiress to the San Diego–based Qualcomm fortune, condemned an ICE raid at a popular Italian restaurant on May 30 that resulted in the detention of at least four workers without legal status.
Her protest, posed with wood-fired pizza and a glass of white wine at the restaurant, prompted swift criticism, with detractors accusing her of being out of touch and emblematic of the modern Democratic Party’s perceived reliance on “cheap illegal immigrant labor.”
“I was proud to have dinner at Buona Forchetta to show my support to them as they deal with the fallout of the raid where agents threw out flash bangs in order to arrest restaurant workers — not hardened criminals,” Jacobs wrote on X Sunday evening. “We will continue to stand with our immigrant communities.”
These immigration raids don’t define us, but our response to them does. I was proud to have dinner at Buona Forchetta to show my support to them as they deal with the fallout of the raid where agents threw out flash bangs in order to arrest restaurant workers — not hardened… pic.twitter.com/L6bFGiu7t8
— Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (@RepSaraJacobs) June 8, 2025
Jacobs’ outspoken opposition to ICE’s deportation efforts comes amid a weekend of violent riots in Los Angeles, where left-wing protesters clashed with authorities over immigration enforcement actions in the sanctuary city. Jacobs also criticized President Donald Trump for deploying National Guard units to support ICE agents, calling the move an “unnecessary escalation” in a post on X.
Trump administration officials and conservative commentators swiftly condemned Jacobs’ actions, accusing her of virtue signaling after she posted photos dining at the popular Italian restaurant reportedly found employing undocumented workers.
You, bravely eating a fancy Italian meal pic.twitter.com/M7qkfZtOle
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) June 9, 2025
“Here is Sara Jacobs, a billionaire heiress, demanding that she has cheap illegal immigrant labor instead of American workers receiving higher wages,” White House principal deputy communications director Alex Pfeiffer replied on X. “Sara enjoys the fruits of illegal immigrant labor, while never experiencing any of the consequences.”
National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella referred to House Democrats as “spoiled elitists” in a statement Monday referencing Jacobs’ jaunt to the gourmet Italian restaurant. “What wine pairing goes with virtue signaling?” another X user asked.
