By U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Department of Homeland Security)
A farmworker has died following serious injuries sustained during large-scale immigration raids at two cannabis farms in Southern California, as U.S. authorities confirmed the arrest of 200 individuals and detailed violent confrontations with protesters.
The United Farm Workers advocacy group identified the deceased as Jaime Alanis, who was critically injured after falling approximately 30 feet (nine metres) during one of Thursday’s raids. “We tragically can confirm that a farm worker has died of injuries they sustained as a result of yesterday’s immigration enforcement action,” the group posted on X.
Federal immigration officials stated on Friday that around 200 immigrants suspected of being in the United States unlawfully were taken into custody during enforcement operations at cannabis farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) noted that at least 10 immigrant children were found and rescued amid concerns of possible exploitation, forced labour, and human trafficking.
Additionally, four U.S. citizens were arrested during clashes between demonstrators and federal agents, and authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of an individual accused of opening fire on law enforcement. “During the operation, more than 500 rioters attempted to disrupt operations. Four U.S. citizens are being criminally processed for assaulting or resisting officers. The rioters damaged vehicles, and one violent agitator fired a gun at law enforcement officers,” the DHS said.
One of the targeted sites was Glass House Farms in Camarillo—a licensed cannabis operation also cultivating tomatoes and cucumbers—where agents in tactical gear stormed the premises. Protesters gathered outside the facility, demanding updates on detained family members and decrying the sweeping nature of the enforcement.
Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Dowd reported that at least 12 individuals were injured amid the raid and protest. Alanis, who had reportedly worked at Glass House Farms for a decade harvesting tomatoes, phoned his family in Mexico during the raid, saying he was in hiding. “The next thing we heard was that he was in the hospital with broken hands, ribs, and a broken neck,” said Juan Duran, Alanis’s brother-in-law, as reported by the Associated Press.
In response, Glass House Farms issued a statement asserting that immigration agents were acting on valid warrants and that the company is now working to secure legal assistance for its detained employees. “Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,” the company said.
The United Farm Workers also noted that some U.S. citizens employed at the facility remain unaccounted for following the raid.
The crackdown is part of the Trump administration’s renewed and contentious immigration enforcement strategy. Since returning to office, President Trump has expanded aggressive operations, deploying immigration agents across the country to apprehend undocumented individuals and even transferring accused gang members to maximum-security prisons in El Salvador without trial.
However, in a significant legal development following the raids, U.S. District Judge Maame E. Frimpong issued a temporary order on Friday halting indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests across seven California counties, including Los Angeles. The ruling is in response to a lawsuit filed by immigrant rights groups last week, alleging the administration’s operations in Southern California involved unconstitutional targeting of individuals based on skin colour.
The plaintiffs argued the administration’s use of warrantless patrols violated the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, as well as the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of due process.
In her ruling, Judge Frimpong found merit in those claims, stating that “roving patrols” conducted without reasonable suspicion are unlawful. She ordered immigration agents to cease racial profiling and directed the federal government to ensure those detained have access to legal representation. The injunction will remain in effect for 10 days.
Shihab Rattansi, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Washington, DC, said the lawsuit challenges the legality of immigration agents operating without identification and conducting mass arrests. “The plaintiffs argue there is no probable cause to suspect they’re breaking any kind of immigration laws. And we know a lot of people who are citizens are being swept up too,” Rattansi said.
