Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Melissa Gomez
Noncitizen voting was gaining steam in LA. Then fears of Trump backlash scuttled the plan
It was a traumatic moment for much of Southern California, as federal immigration agents snatched undocumented workers from car washes , garment factories and Home Depot parking lots. Angelica Salas, who heads one of Los Angeles' most influential immigrant rights groups, met regularly last summer with City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez - himself the son of Mexican immigrants - as they formulated a response.
LA Asian American leaders urge their communities to stand by Latinos, denounce ICE raids
AAPI community leaders, politicians and immigration rights groups denounced the ICE raids during a press conference at Terasaki Budokan in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday, June 26, 2025. (Myung J. Chun/ Los Angeles Times/TNS) Myung J.
Father Richard Estrada, a leading figure in the immigrant rights movement who was known for opening Los Angeles' first shelter for homeless migrant youth and dedicating his life to advocating for the downtrodden, died Monday at the age of 83. Estrada was hospitalized in March for pneumonia after contracting COVID-19, and he died from COVID-related complications, according to Angie Jimenez, a family friend. Estrada, the son of Mexican immigrants, was born in Los Angeles on March 1, 1942.
Los Angeles County's sizable Asian immigrant communities are bracing for disruption and heartache as rumors swirl of mass deportations to be carried out under sweeping new orders issued by the Trump administration. At religious centers and job sites, community leaders are hosting "Know Your Rights" training sessions in Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi and other languages to educate immigrants about their constitutional rights should they be confronted by federal agents at home or in the workplace.
Confusion, denial at border, as path to U.S. asylum shuts down
Outside the white gates that secure the entry to this Tijuana customs facility, a steppingstone to U.S. soil, migrants sat on a sidewalk in quiet disbelief this week, their futures suddenly feeling much darker and clouded in uncertainty. Like thousands of others during the last year, they had arrived at the border to meet with U.S. officials for formal asylum interviews, appointments that many had worked months to schedule.
Study finds Central Valley residents continually exposed to ‘toxic soup’ of pesticides
A recent UC Davis study found that as Central Valley residents go about their day, they regularly breathe in pesticides, including one that has been banned in California and another whose effects on people is unclear.
Massive police operation breaches UCLA pro-Palestinian encampment, makes arrests
|
LOS ANGELES - Police moved into the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA Thursday morning, where they faced intense resistance and made dozens of arrests. Officers wearing body armor, helmets and face shields methodically pulled apart the barricade as protesters tried to hold together the assemblage of plywood and metal fencing. Flares arced overhead, igniting with piercing blasts, and smoke filled the air from fire extinguishers that demonstrators sprayed at the police.
By Matthew Ormseth Verified, Connor Sheets Verified, Ruben Vives Verified, Melissa Gomez, Jack Dolan Verified, Caroline Petrow-Cohen Verified
|
Sun Herald
Verified
LA County probation supervisor to face charges in assault of teen revealed by Times report
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office filed a felony excessive force charge against a county probation supervisor in connection with a 2020 incident captured on video, District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday, calling the incident a “brutal” attack against an unarmed teen.
LA County probation supervisor to face charges in assault of teen revealed by Times report
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office filed a felony excessive force charge against a county probation supervisor in connection with a 2020 incident captured on video, District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday, calling the incident a “brutal” attack against an unarmed teen.
LA County probation supervisor to face charges in assault of teen revealed by Times report
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office filed a felony excessive force charge against a county probation supervisor in connection with a 2020 incident captured on video, District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday, calling the incident a “brutal” attack against an unarmed teen.
LA County probation supervisor to face charges in assault of teen revealed by Times report
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County district attorney's office filed a felony excessive force charge against a county probation supervisor in connection with a 2020 incident captured on video, District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday, calling the incident a "brutal" attack against an unarmed teen.
LA County Probation Supervisor To Face Charges In Assault Of Teen Revealed By Times Report - Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office filed a felony excessive force charge against a county probation supervisor in connection with a 2020 incident captured on video, District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday, calling the incident a “brutal” attack against an unarmed teen.
LOS ANGELES - As news of the Supreme Court's decision to end constitutional protections for abortion spread Friday morning, many in Southern California responded with a simple question: Where do we protest? The overturning of the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling will not hinder reproductive health access in California, where abortion will continue to be protected under state law. The state's Democratic lawmakers quickly moved to add to those protections; Gov.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Melissa
Contact Melissa, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack