This week, an awful situation occurred at a cannabis farm in Camarillo, California. Jaime Alanis, later known as a committed son and farmworker, tragically died from injuries during an immigration enforcement raid. The raid took place on July 10, 2025, and resulted in the arrest of approximately 200 workers across two cannabis farm sites, including Glass House Farms, a licensed grower.
Jaime Alanis had spent almost 10 years harvesting tomatoes at the farm. Though he was deeply engaged in setting up a greenhouse project, the raid occurred without warning. During the chaotic scene, he managed to call his wife in Mexico to inform her that immigration agents had arrived and that he was hiding with others inside the facility. In this last-ditch effort to evade escape, Alanis plummeted nearly 30 feet from the building, suffering extensive injuries.
Elizabeth Strater, the national vice president of the United Farm Workers (UFW), had a shocking update. Last month, Chase shared that Alanis had been hospitalized following a fall. Ventura County fire authorities rushed to the scene after a 911 call came in that people were having difficulty breathing. They airlifted all three victims, including Alanis, to local hospitals for emergency care.
The next day, on July 11, 2025, Jaime Alanis succumbed to his injuries. The advocacy group United Farm Workers acknowledged his death in a social media post. Our hearts are with them in their sadness, having lost beloved friends.
“We tragically can confirm that a farm worker has died of injuries they sustained as a result of yesterday’s immigration enforcement action.” – United Farm Workers
Jaime Alanis’s family members were waiting nervously across the road from the farm during the raid. His brother-in-law, Juan Duran, remembered the scary uncertainty of that day for his family.
“The next thing we heard was that he was in the hospital.” – Juan Duran
Maria Servin, Alanis’s mother-in-law, recalled her last conversation with him before the tragedy. She wrote that she felt badly for failing him by not helping him to find the right documentation.
“He said not to come because they were surrounded and there was even a helicopter. That was the last time I spoke to him.” – Maria Servin
“I regret 1,000 times that I didn’t help him get his documents.” – Maria Servin
Alanis, an 18-year veteran of Glass House Farms, was said to pride himself on being the first in and last to leave on the workday. His family remembered him as a kind, selfless, and hardworking man who had dedicated all of his time and efforts to improving their lives. The raid has led to significant fears of the treatment of immigrant workers, California’s agricultural industry largely relies on. These workers put their lives on the line every day.
When asked about the raid in response to the tragic events, Glass House Farms claimed that federal agents had proper warrants for such a raid. They highlighted their deep commitment to equitable hiring practices.
“Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors.” – Glass House Farms
The incident stems from larger, complicated issues involved in immigration enforcement and agricultural labor in California. State and local authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding Jaime Alanis’s death. Inexplicably, his family comes to terms with profound grief and loss, while struggling in limbo with uncertainty.