Hundreds arrested in immigration raid at 2 California farms; workers reportedly injured
Hundreds were arrested amid immigration raids at a cannabis farm
- DHS says the farm was employing and endangering minors; union notes that it's legal for minors to work on farms
- Targeted farm said it has never knowingly violated hiring laws and does not employ minors
VENTURA COUNTY, California ‒ Around 200 people were arrested when federal law enforcement officers executed criminal warrants at a farm near Camarillo and another in Carpinteria, according to a statement released July 11 by the Department of Homeland Security.
The July 10 raids by federal immigration agents sparked a chaotic scene in which union officials say several workers were injured.
Teresa Romero, president of United Farm Workers, said in a statement that some workers were critically injured during the raid and that others, including U.S. citizens, remain unaccounted for. Later, the union reported one person had died, but the information was not confirmed.
A man was reported in critical condition at a local hospital, and a family member who organized a GoFundMe campaign said doctors did not expect him to survive. A farmworker at Glass House, the man reportedly fell 30 feet during the raid. The campaign page described his injuries as catastrophic and asked for help covering medical expenses and other costs.
On the morning of July 10, immigration agents descended on Glass House Farms near Camarillo and in Carpinteria – a greenhouse complex that is one of the state's largest marijuana farms. They blocked the main road and clashed with protesters until after dark as agents detained farm workers.
The hours-long raid was one of the largest since President Donald Trump's administration began ramping up a mass deportation campaign across California and the country.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement July 11 that, in addition to the arrests of undocumented workers, "law enforcement rescued at least 10 migrant children from what looks like exploitation, forced child labor and potentially human trafficking or smuggling."
The UFW addressed the allegation, noting in a post on the social media site X that farm workers are excluded from basic child labor laws.
"It is unfortunately not uncommon for teenagers to work in the fields," the UFW said in the statement. "To be clear: detaining and deporting children is not a solution for child labor."
A bleary-eyed crowd of farmworker families waited outside the farm's gate on July 11, some hoping to recover the belongings of their detained loved ones.
"A lot of people here are scared," said Alyssa Caro, a 20-year-old Oxnard resident whose mother, an undocumented farmworker, was detained by federal agents during the raid. "It's so close to home."
How many people were swept up in the raid?
Glass House Farms said it has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors. On July 10, the company received immigration and naturalization warrants, verified they were valid and complied, company officials said in a social media post.
Workers were detained and the company is helping provide them legal representation, according to the July 11 post.
"We do not expect this to affect operations moving forward," the company said.
Marijuana use among adults 21 and older is legal in California.
DHS estimated that more than 500 people were involved in the protests and were attempting to disrupt the immigration raid. The agency alleged protestors damaged vehicles and one fired a gun.
The FBI in Los Angeles said a man, shown in footage from a news helicopter, appeared to fire a gun at law enforcement at 2:26 p.m. on Laguna Road. The incident happened "during a lawful search," according to the FBI's post, and a reward of up to $50,000 would be offered for information leading to a conviction.
Four U.S. citizens were being processed for charges including assault or resisting officers, DHS said.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said anyone who assaults or publicly identifies federal law enforcement would be prosecuted.
What happened to farmworkers?
Some workers were critically injured during the raid.
The Ventura County Fire Department said eight people were taken from the incident to local hospitals on July 10. Four others were assessed and treated at the scene, said department spokesperson Andrew Dowd. The department did not have information about the severity of the injuries.
Many workers, United States citizens included, were held at the farm by federal authorities for eight hours or more, the UFW said.
"U.S. citizen workers report only being released after they were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones," the UFW said.
Isaiah Murtaugh can be reached at [email protected] and Cheri Carlson at [email protected].