Dems accused of protecting child-labor rackets after California ICE raid
Democrats have erupted in rage at a raid on a California marijuana farm operation by agents for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement but are facing backlash because the operation was caught exploiting children for its labor.
A report at the Hill said the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that undocumented minors were found working at the cannabis scheme in the raid.
KTLA reported federal immigration officers and National Guard members carried out raids at two cannabis farm locations and arrested dozens, including illegal alien children.
Hundreds of protesters staged obstructive maneuvers during the law enforcement operation, and there were some violent clashes with law enforcement.
The two sites where operations were held were Glass House Farms locations in Camarillo and Carpinteria.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed, “Federal agents are executing a search warrant at this marijuana farm. Agents have already arrested multiple individuals for impeding this operation and will continue to make arrests. Don’t interfere. You will be arrested and charged with a federal offense.”
Luis McArthur, Oxnard’s mayor, went online to complain the ICE raid on one location was “unjust and unwarranted,” prompting criticism for his advocacy for “CHILD LABOR.”
Luis Mc Arthur, the mayor of Oxnard, CA, says that the ICE raid at a marijuana farm that exploited children for labor was “unjust and unwarranted,” and he wants to work with Gavin Newsom to stop these raids.
Democrats are now fighting for not just illegal aliens… but also for… pic.twitter.com/p8DEI0RhOJ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 11, 2025
Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) calls ICE “horrific” and “un-American” for conducting a lawful raid at a marijuana farm that was illegally exploiting children for labor.
Democrats are now the party of unaccompanied illegal alien child labor at weed farms. pic.twitter.com/30OJha0HCJ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 11, 2025
Unaccompanied minors were found working the cannabis slave fields in the ICE raid of a California farm.pic.twitter.com/29FG1xvOD2
— Joyreaper (@joyreaper) July 11, 2025
Law enforcement eventually used tear gas as protesters decided to obstruct the officers by blocking roadways.
One person apparently shot at federal officers, and on Friday was being sought for investigation of possible federal charges. The FBI offered a $50,000 award for information leading to the conviction in that case.
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott revealed that 10 undocumented minors were found working at Camarillo, eight of them unaccompanied.
That opened an investigation into the corporation for child labor violations.
Fire department workers responded to several people affected by the tear gas.
At the Carpinteria operation, state Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, tried to force his way past federal agents, but was turned around.
His later statement claimed he was troubled by a lack of transparency in the DHS.
“I will be demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security to find out who they detained and where the detainees are being taken,” he said. “These militarized ICE raids are not how you keep our communities safe. This kind of chaos only traumatizes families and tears communities apart.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom posted a statement online calling President Donald Trump “the real scum,” triggering responders to question him why there were children working marijuana fields.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reported leftists were left “fuming” over the raid.
It reported Newsom posted, “Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields. Trump calls me Newscum — but he’s the real scum.”
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego charged, “Instead of prioritizing dangerous criminals Trump is targeting families that have been here for years picking our food. The public outcry and protests are occurring because the American public knows this is wrong.”
That triggered a flood of comments pointing that that marijuana is not considered “food.”
Also misunderstanding was Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who said, “How many MS-13 gang members are waking up at 3 a.m. to pick strawberries? O’yeah, zero! Trump said he’d go after ‘bad hombres,’ but he’s targeting the immigrant farm workers who feed America.”
DHS responded, “At the California marijuana facility, [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and CBP law enforcement rescued 8 unaccompanied migrant children from what looks like exploitation, violation of child labor laws and potentially human trafficking or smuggling. Yet, Gavin Newsom, Ruben Gallego and other politicians continue to demonize and attack the law enforcement officers who bravely rescued these children.”