A farmworker at a Southern California cannabis farm tragically died following injuries sustained during a chaotic immigration raid by federal officers, the United Farm Workers (UFW) reported on Friday. While the labor union has not disclosed the employee’s identity, they confirmed that the worker fell approximately 30 feet during the incident at Glass House Farms, located north of Los Angeles. UFW President Teresa Romero criticized the raid, stating, “These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives, and separate families.”
Federal agents, utilizing less-lethal weapons and tear gas, confronted protesters outside the Camarillo grow house on Thursday, where multiple employees were arrested. Among those affected was George Retes, a disabled U.S. Army veteran who works as a security guard at the facility. Retes attempted to check on colleagues when he was detained on suspicion of assault after federal officers smashed his vehicle window and pepper-sprayed him, as reported by his wife, Guadalupe Torres.
Aerial footage captured the tense atmosphere, showing both protesters and arrested individuals in handcuffs. At another Glass House property in Carpinteria, manager Edgar Rodriguez recounted facing aggression from armed federal officers. Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen, had repeatedly requested identification from the officers, who arrived in unmarked vehicles. Despite their claims of not being ICE, the officers failed to disclose their agency, escalating tensions when they physically restrained him after coaxing him outside.
Rodriguez stated that he was handcuffed for over an hour and suffered injuries, including scratches and bruises. He observed around ten employees, many of whom held work visas and had lived in the U.S. for over two decades, being taken into custody. “They were really scared,” he said. “They kept saying they didn’t do anything wrong, that they had visas.”
The operations resulted in approximately 200 arrests, with one worker critically injured and others, including U.S. citizens, reported missing. Employees were held at the site for over eight hours, and several only regained their freedom after agreeing to delete footage of the raid. In a concerning development, the FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information on an individual who allegedly fired a gun at federal officers during the raid.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott shared a photo of several juveniles detained during the incidents, raising alarm about potential child exploitation in cannabis farms. While Glass House Farms stated it has never knowingly employed minors, the UFW demanded legal representation for the children involved.
The raids marked an escalation in confrontations between the Trump administration and mass deportation protesters after weeks of tension in immigrant-majority communities. In response, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a directive mandating city departments to outline how city workers should respond if approached by federal immigration agents, aiming to ensure community members are informed of their rights.
A federal judge is expected to rule soon on a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and immigrant rights groups demanding an end to raids that have terrorized residents, forcing many into hiding. This unfolding situation raises pressing questions about the impact of federal immigration actions on vulnerable communities and the consequences for America’s agricultural labor force.
Original Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/11/cannabis-farm-worker-in-california-dies-day-after-chaotic-federal-immigration-raid.html
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Publish Date: 2025-07-12 04:55:00
