On a given day nearly 200 individuals were detained as national officers performed criminal investigations on two farms located near Camarillo and Carpinteria. This course of action by the Department of Homeland Security was made public on July 11. With the July 10th intervention by immigration officials causing mayhem, worker union authorities declare that a number of employees sustained personal injuries during this process.
There were reports of serious injuries sustained by workers during the operation and even accounts of certain individuals, including American citizens, who have since been untraceable. An unverified report from the union mentioned the death of one victim in the incident. Another individual was critically wounded and was being treated at a local hospital, with doctors expressing doubt about his survival chances.
The severely injured individual happened to be an employee at Glass House and was reportedly a casualty of a 30-feet fall during the official raid. The incident transpired when on the morning of July 10th, immigration officials surrounded Glass House Farms situated close to Camarillo and Carpinteria. This particular farmland is a large-scale greenhouse operation dedicated to the cultivation of marijuana, making it one of the largest in the state.
The officials successfully blockaded the chief route and became embroiled in a confrontation with the rallying protesters which lasted until nightfall while the farm laborers were being seized. This prolonged operation was recorded as one of the most extensive since the inauguration of a mass deportation movement across the state of California and the United States by the prevailing administration.
In a communique on July 11, the Department of Homeland Security also stated that besides apprehending unauthorized employees, the law enforcement agency also managed to rescue at least 10 child migrants who were suspected victims of exploitation and forced child labor, with potential ties to illicit human trafficking or smuggling activity.
In a social media post meant to address these assertions, the United Farmer Workers (UFW) clarified that it isn’t an extraordinary occurrence for teenagers to be employed in fields due to farm workers being outside the purview of conventional child labor laws. They further underscored that detaining and deporting minors is not a solution to this child labor issue.
On July 11, a large gathering of farmworker families was observed outside the gates of the farm, with several hoping to retrieve the personal effects of the loved ones who were detained. According to Alyssa Caro, a 20-year-old Oxnard resident, most people present there were overwhelmed with fear after the incident. Her mother, a farm worker without proper documentation, was also one among the individuals detained during the raid.
Glass House Farms has defended its employment procedures asserting that they have always adhered to the applicable hiring norms and have never employed minors knowingly. Following the receipt of the immigration and naturalization warrants on July 10, they conducted a verification to ensure their authenticity and complied accordingly.
Subsequently, the employees were held in detention while the company facilitated their legal representation. The event’s impact on the operations of the company was expected to be minimal, according to an official statement. Notwithstanding such incidents, the consumption of marijuana by adults who are 21 years or older persists as a legal practice in California.
The Department of Homeland Security made an estimated count of over 500 individuals being a part of the protest with the intention of hindering the immigration operation. There were also allegations of damage inflicted on vehicles, and the discharge of a firearm by one of the protesters.
Tricia McLaughlin, the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, issued a stern warning that anyone indulging in assault or revealing the identity of Federal law enforcement members in the public domain will face prosecution. Tragically, a number of workers suffered critical injuries during the law enforcement operation.
Furthermore, a significant number of workers, which included US citizens, were confined at the farm by the federal authorities for periods extending past eight hours, according to reports by the United Farmer Workers. The UFW also claimed that certain American citizen workers were only granted their release after an enforced deletion of all photographic and recorded evidence of the raid from their personal electronic devices.