Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: Reuters

A sad event took place in California recently. During a raid by US immigration officers, a farm worker died after getting badly injured. This raid happened at a legal cannabis farm in Ventura County, about 90 kilometers from Los Angeles. The raid was conducted to arrest undocumented migrants working at the farm.

Family Confirms Death

The worker’s family said on Friday that he was in critical condition after the raid. Sadly, he passed away later that day due to his serious injuries.

What Happened During The Raid?

During this raid, US immigration officers arrested around 200 undocumented migrants. Many protesters gathered at the farm to stop the arrests. These protesters said the raids were unfair and cruel to poor workers.

How Did The Worker Die?

According to Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the worker who died was not being chased by officers. She explained that he climbed onto the roof of a greenhouse at the farm and fell from a height of 30 feet (10 meters). After his fall, Customs and Border Patrol officers quickly called a medevac helicopter to take him to the hospital, but he could not survive his injuries.

Union Shares Sad News

The United Farm Workers labor union posted the sad news on social media, saying that the worker died because of the raid that happened the day before.
Children Rescued From Farms
This raid was not only about arresting workers. DHS said that officers rescued 10 children who were being forced to work at marijuana farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo. These children were believed to be working under illegal and unsafe conditions.

Company’s Statement

Glass House Brands, the company that owns these cannabis farms, said in their statement that they never knowingly broke any hiring rules. They also said they never employed children at their farms.

Clashes Between Protesters And Police

The raid turned into chaos. DHS said that more than 500 people, whom they called “rioters,” tried to stop the officers. Some protesters threw rocks and other things at police vehicles. The officers used tear gas to control the crowd. Four US citizens were arrested for fighting with officers. The department also said that someone fired a gun at officers, and they are offering a $50,000 reward to find that person.

Trump’s Strong Reaction

Former US President Donald Trump reacted strongly to this incident. He posted on his social media platform that the protesters were “slimeballs” and should be arrested. He said he saw videos showing these people throwing rocks and bricks at ICE vehicles, causing heavy damage.

Trump Gives Permission To Officers

Trump said he has given full permission to ICE officers to protect themselves. He said if anyone attacks them with rocks or bricks, officers can use “whatever means necessary” to arrest these protesters because they are harming public safety.

Trump’s Strict Immigration Views

Trump has always been strict about immigration. When he was president, he promised to deport millions of undocumented migrants from the US. Recently, there have been many disagreements between Trump’s team and the government of California, which is led by Democrats, about how immigration laws should be enforced.

National Guard Sent To Los Angeles

A few weeks ago, Trump sent thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles to control protests against immigration raids. But the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, said these troops were not needed because the protests were mostly peaceful. However, his attempts to remove the troops have not worked so far.

Court Order Against Federal Agents

In another important development, District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong gave a court order to stop “roving patrols” by federal agents in Los Angeles. She said these agents were arresting people without proper reasons and were not giving them their legal rights. She said many arrests were based only on people’s race, language, or place of work. The judge said these arrests must stop immediately because they are against the law.

Farm Scene After The Raid

The day after the raid, the cannabis farm was quiet. Workers stood in line to collect their belongings and paychecks. Many were worried about their family members who had been taken away.

A Father’s Worry

One worker named Saul Munoz, a 43-year-old man from Colombia, was waiting for news about his son who was arrested during the raid. He said, “We have been here since six in the morning asking questions but they are not giving us any information. I just want to know how my son is doing. Bring him back to me, and if it is time for us to leave this country, we will leave.”
With sadness, he added, “The truth is that the American dream is no longer the American dream.”

Questions About Migrant Workers’ Rights

This incident has raised many questions about how migrant workers are treated in the US, especially those who work on farms and in factories. Many come to America to earn a better life for their families. But often they work in hard conditions for very little pay and always fear being arrested or sent back to their home countries.

The Reality For Migrant Workers

The death of this farm worker shows the risks that migrant workers face every day. It also shows the challenges of balancing strict immigration laws with human rights and dignity for workers who do the hardest jobs in society.