A farmworker named Jaime Alanis has died as a result of injuries suffered during immigration raids on two California cannabis farms, as authorities confirmed the arrest of approximately 200 workers after a confrontation with protesters.
The United Farm Workers advocacy group confirmed Alanis’s death, stating that he was injured after falling 30 feet during one of the raids and later passed away.
Federal immigration authorities confirmed on Friday that they had apprehended around 200 immigrants suspected of being in the US unlawfully during the raids held on Thursday at two cannabis farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo, Southern California.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that at least 10 undocumented immigrant children were also found during the raids and were rescued from potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking.
Four US citizens arrested for their involvement in violent confrontations between authorities and protesters, and a $50,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to the capture of another suspect who allegedly fired a gun at the federal agents.
The raids involved immigration agents wearing military-style gear who stormed Glass House Farms, a licensed cannabis grower in Camarillo. Protesters gathered outside the farm to seek information about their relatives and oppose the raids.
The raid resulted in at least 12 people getting injured. Glass House Farms afternoon confirmed that immigration agents had valid warrants and that the company is aiding in providing legal representation for the detained workers.
Some US citizens working at the firm have not yet been accounted for, according to the United Farm Workers. The raid is part of the ongoing campaign by the Trump administration to crack down on immigration in the US.
Federal Judge Maame E Frimpong ordered a temporary halt to the Trump administration’s immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. Frimpong’s ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by immigrant advocacy groups alleging that the Trump administration systematically targets brown-skinned people during immigration raids in Southern California.
The plaintiffs argued that the immigration agents’ patrols without reasonable suspicion violated the Fourth Amendment, protecting individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the Fifth Amendment, ensuring due process of law. Judge Frimpong directed agents to refrain from racially profiling people and ordered the federal government to ensure detainees have access to legal counsel.
