Protestors clash with ICE agents during a raid at a farm in California on Thursday. Heritage Foundation’s Zach Smith joins LiveNOW’s Andrew Craft to discuss the battle over immigration.
Several protesters and federal agents clashed during an immigration raid at a farm in Ventura County Thursday morning.
Multiple agents arrived at Glass House Farms, a licensed cannabis facility, on Laguna Rd. and Las Posas Rd. in Camarillo around 11 a.m. Another raid also occurred at another Glass House Farm in Carpinteria.
Video from the scene in Camarillo showed multiple people confronting agents on the road near the field. Throughout the day, the protest continued to grow. Tear gas and smoke bombs were thrown into the crowd multiple times throughout the day. Federal personnel used gas to push back protesters who arrived on scene after getting word of a raid.
Military helicopters were seen flying low over the fields, a maneuver generally used to flush out people hiding.
Footage from SkyFOX showed multiple people detained as several men were sitting in the corner. Around 2:27 p.m., a US Marshal Services bus was seen leaving the farm. Details surrounding their detainment were not released.
Despite being a cannabis farm, the DEA said the Department of Homeland Security is leading the operation. DHS released a statement later in the evening saying only, “DHS law enforcement is executing a warrant at a marijuana facility. Our brave officers will continue to enforce the law.”
During the confrontational clash, four people were transported to the hospital, the Ventura County Fire Department said. Their medical conditions, injuries, or status are not known. The fire department also said three additional people were treated at the scene without being transported. Those on the scene said people were primarily treated after getting hit with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Throughout the day, more and more people arrived at the farm to voice their concerns and help those impacted. People brought water and milk to help those who got tear-gassed.
But as the crowd grew, so did tensions… with some people turning to violence. A white SUV drove into a crowd of people and around 5:43 p.m, protesters were seen throwing rocks at vans trying to leave the area.
Video also captured a supporter getting punched in the face while walking to his car. Several people surrounded him, threw water on him, then someone came up and punched him to the ground.
By 6 p.m., the National Guard was on the scene and established a skirmish line to help with crowd control.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said agents arrested multiple individuals for impeding the operation and said arrests will continue if people continue to interfere with agents.
While federal officials have yet to confirm to FOX 11 a reason for the raid, FOX’s Bill Melugin said he spoke with three senior federal officials who said DHS executed a criminal judicial search warrant that was signed off by a federal judge after obtaining evidence that Glass House Farms was employing illegal aliens.
He was told the operation could result in the arrest of hundreds, making it potentially one of the largest single operations during the Trump administration.
In a social media post, the mayor of Oxnard wrote, “It is becoming increasingly apparent that the actions taken by ICE are bold and aggressive, demonstrating insensitivity towards the direct impact on our community. These actions are causing unnecessary distress and harm. I remain committed to working alongside our Attorney General and the Governor’s office to explore potential legal avenues to address these activities.”
Rep. Salud Carbajal said another immigration raid also occurred Thursday in Carpinteria. Carbajal said he attempted to see first-hand what ICE was doing in the area but was denied entry and was not allowed to pass the perimeter line.
He said about 50 federal agents, fully armed and in military gear, were on the property of a nursery. He said they deployed flash and smoke devices. A piece of shrapnel from one of those devices hit a young child who was in the crowd.
According to the Ventura County Star, the Glass House Farms facility on Laguna Road is one of the largest licensed cannabis farms in California, with more than 5 million square feet of growing space. The company bought the property from Houweling’s Tomatoes in 2021.
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