A California agricultural worker died on Friday following a raid by US immigration agents on a cannabis nursery, where hundreds of laborers were arrested, according to a worker advocacy group. This occurred as a federal judge issued a temporary order requiring the Trump administration to halt some of its most aggressive methods for rounding up undocumented immigrants.
Dozens of migrant-rights activists confronted federal agents in rural Southern California on Thursday during the operation, marking the latest escalation in President Donald Trump’s initiative for mass deportations of immigrants residing illegally in the US.
A California judge on Friday prohibited the Trump administration from engaging in racial profiling of immigrants seeking deportation targets and from denying detained immigrants access to legal counsel during their confinement.
The Trump administration has issued contradictory statements regarding whether immigration agents will focus on the farm labor workforce, roughly half of which, by government estimates, is unauthorized to work in the US.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that approximately 200 individuals illegally in the country were detained during the raid, which targeted two locations of the cannabis operation, Glass House Farms. The department confirmed via an emailed statement that agents also found 10 migrant minors at the farm. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott posted on X that the facility is under investigation for child labor violations.
The company did not immediately respond to a comment request.
The scene at the farm on Thursday was chaotic, with federal agents wearing helmets and face masks using tear gas and smoke canisters against angry protesters, as shown in photos and videos from the scene.
Elizabeth Strater, national vice president of the United Farm Workers (UFW), reported that several farm workers were injured and one died on Friday from injuries sustained after a 30-foot (9-meter) fall from a building during the raid.
The deceased worker was identified as Jaime Alanis on a verified GoFundMe page created by his family, who are raising funds for his burial in Mexico and to support his family. “He was his family’s provider. They took one of our family members. We need justice,” Alanis’ family wrote.
Strater said US citizens were detained during the raid, and some remain unaccounted for.
DHS denied responsibility for the man’s death, stating that “although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a green house and fell 30 feet.” DHS said agents immediately called for a medical evacuation.
‘Mountain of Evidence’ Halts Aggressive Tactics
The confrontation in southern California occurred as the Trump administration faces numerous lawsuits nationwide over its controversial methods for tracking down undocumented immigrants for deportation.
US District Court Judge Maame Frimpong issued two temporary restraining orders, blocking the administration from detaining immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally based on racial profiling and from denying detained individuals the right to speak with a lawyer.
The ruling, a response to a lawsuit by immigration advocacy groups, asserts that the administration is violating the Fourth and Fifth Amendments by conducting “roving patrols” to sweep up suspected undocumented immigrants based on their being Latinos, and subsequently denying them legal access.
“What the federal government would have this Court believe -in the face of a mountain of evidence presented in this case – is that none of this is actually happening,” Frimpong wrote in her decision.
California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), which offers legal services to farm workers, is assisting in retrieving checks for detained Glass House workers, according to directing attorney Angelica Preciado. Preciado stated that some detained Glass House workers were only able to call family after signing voluntary deportation orders, and were told they could face life imprisonment for working at a cannabis facility.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin rejected these claims, stating in an email that “allegations that ICE or CBP agents denied detainees from calling legal assistance are unequivocally false.”
UFW President Teresa Romero said in a statement that some detained citizen workers reported only being released after deleting photos and videos of the raid from their phones. “These violent and cruel federal actions terrorise American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,” Romero said.
Farm groups have warned that mass deportation of agricultural workers would jeopardize the country’s food supply chain. In her most recent comments, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated there would be “no amnesty” from deportation for farm workers. Trump, however, has said migrant workers should be permitted to remain on farms.
