SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A tragic incident occurred during an ICE raid at a California cannabis facility, leading to the death of Jaime Alanis, a 57-year-old farmworker. Alanis succumbed to his injuries on Saturday after falling approximately 30 feet from a greenhouse roof while attempting to escape from ICE agents. His niece, Yesenia Duran, confirmed his passing, making him the first known fatality linked to immigration enforcement actions during the Trump administration.
Duran shared on the fundraising platform GoFundMe that Alanis was the sole provider for his family, sending earnings back to his wife and daughter in Mexico. Having worked at the facility for a decade, his unexpected death has devastated his family and community. The United Farm Workers (UFW) initially reported his death prematurely, and the Ventura County Medical Center later clarified that he was still on life support at that time.
The UFW expressed condemnation of the federal actions, stating, “These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families.” Although the UFW does not represent employees at the raided farm, they highlighted the impact of such enforcement actions on vulnerable communities.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) carried out criminal search warrants at Glass House Farms locations in Camarillo and Carpinteria on Thursday. The facilities are known for cannabis cultivation and also produce tomatoes and cucumbers. During the raid, around 200 individuals suspected of being in the country illegally were apprehended, with at least 10 immigrant children identified on the premises, as reported by DHS.
Alanis was reportedly hiding and attempting to flee when he fell from the rooftop and broke his neck, according to family, hospital, and governmental sources. DHS officials stated that Alanis was not in their custody and had not been pursued by law enforcement at the time of the incident. “This man was not in and has not been in CBP or ICE custody,” commented DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin. Efforts were made to transport Alanis to medical care swiftly, with a medivac called to the scene immediately after the fall.
In addition to the arrests of undocumented individuals, four U.S. citizens were detained for allegedly resisting officers during the incident, while a $50,000 reward was offered for information regarding an individual suspected of firing at federal agents during the raid. The operation drew significant attention, with large crowds converging outside Glass House Farms to gather information about their relatives and protest against immigration enforcement.
DHS confirmed that the immigration agents operated with valid warrants and emphasized that Glass House Farms is cooperating by providing legal representation for the detained workers. The company asserted, “Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors.” The farm was co-founded by Graham Farrar and Kyle Kazan, with Farrar known to have financially supported California Democrats, including Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been critical of the former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, while Kazan has contributed to both sides of the political aisle.
This incident underscores the ongoing controversies surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States and its profound effects on individuals and families, particularly within agricultural communities.
