On Thursday, federal immigration enforcement officials stormed two cannabis farms in southern California. That terrifying scene left many injured, and soon after, protests erupted in the city. These operations are the latest in a joint effort to ramp up immigration enforcement. They generated widespread outrage over their tactics used and impact on local neighborhoods.
That’s precisely what happened, early Thursday morning, when Judith Ramos—a 22-year-old certified nurse assistant—got a terrifying phone call. Her father, who now picks tomatoes in the fields, was on the other end. When she got that call from her dad, on that day, he told her that immigration agents were waiting outside of his work. Worried for his son’s safety, Ramos rushed to the farm, only to discover a busful of individuals being held.
I cannot find my dad,” she said with emotion weighing heavily on her voice. It’s been more than an hour since I last heard anything from him. Ramos is the eldest to her two younger siblings, who she helps support.
According to witnesses, federal agents escalated the situation by pushing and punching protesters on scene. As Ramos explained back to us, “They did not want us within any closer range, and they began shooting. The clashes grew more confused and criminalized when police turned to tear gas and other chemical agents to disperse protesters.
Mónica Solórzano, a local activist, described the scene: “They were pushing toward each of us and we were standing. They pushed us as a group into the ground.” Julia Mayer, a community member who saw the incident unfold, expressed her anger. She explained, “We were just trying to be out here supporting our communities, and we did not deserve what we went through.”
Emergency services rushed to help as the new terror addressed the scene of mass chaos. Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department, confirmed that crews were dispatched around 12:15 PM to provide medical assistance. Three people were taken to area hospitals for treatment, including the bus driver.
Across the country, the Administration’s raids have intensified opposition from local leaders, local law enforcement, and community advocates. Salud Carbajal, a Democratic representative from California, tried to get into the region but was turned away at gun-point by federal agents. He went on to condemn the raids in no uncertain terms, stating, “These militarized ICE raids do not make our communities safer.” He contended that this kind of chaos only serves to traumatize families and rip communities asunder.
This incident comes amid heightened immigration enforcement in southern California, reflecting a broader trend under the Trump administration that has included aggressive tactics such as deploying large caravans with guns and horses to urban areas like Los Angeles.
The lawful farms the raids were intended to target are completely legal and above-board in Ventura County. The federal actions have forced a critical look at the collision between immigration enforcement and legal agricultural enterprise.
Even Governor Gavin Newsom has joined the fray, making sure to point out the human cost on affected families trapped in the dispute. With a heavy heart, he painted this picture — children were fleeing from tear gas. They wept over the telephone, as their mother had just been arrested at the fields.
As these pressures continue to intensify, so too are tensions between federal enforcement and local communities. These politically motivated raids are dangerous, undermining civil rights and public safety in addition to law enforcement.