Latest news with #Alanis
2 days ago
- Politics
California farmworker who fell from greenhouse roof during chaotic ICE raid dies
SAN FRANCISCO -- A farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic ICE raid this week at a California cannabis facility died Saturday of his injuries. Jaime Alanis, 57, is the first known person to die during one of the Trump administration's ongoing immigration enforcement operations. Yesenia Duran, Alanis' niece, confirmed his death to The Associated Press. Duran posted on the fundraising site GoFundMe that her uncle was his family's only provider and he had been sending his earnings back to a wife and daughter in Mexico. Alanis worked at the farm for 10 years, his family said. The United Farm Workers reported Alanis' death prematurely late Friday. The Ventura County Medical Center later issued a statement authorized by the family saying he was still on life support. 'These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,' the UFW said recently in a statement on the social platform X. The union does not represent workers at the raided farm. The Department of Homeland Security said it executed criminal search warrants Thursday at Glass House Farms facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria. Glass House is a licensed cannabis grower. The farm in Camarillo also grows tomatoes and cucumbers. Alanis called family to say he was hiding and possibly was fleeing agents before he fell about 30 feet (9 meters) from the roof and broke his neck, according to information from family, hospital and government sources. Agents arrested some 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally and identified at least 10 immigrant children on the sites, DHS said in a statement. Alanis was not among them, the agency said. 'This man was not in and has not been in CBP or ICE custody,' DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. 'Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30 feet. CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.' Four U.S. citizens were arrested during the incident for allegedly 'assaulting or resisting officers,' according to DHS, and authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents. During the raid crowds of people gathered outside the facility in Camarillo to seek information about their relatives and protest immigration enforcement. Authorities clad in military-style helmets and uniforms faced off with the demonstrators, and people ultimately retreated amid acrid green and white billowing smoke. Glass House said in a statement that immigration agents had valid warrants. The company said workers were detained and it is helping provide them with legal representation. 'Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,' it said. The business was co-founded by Graham Farrar and Kyle Kazan. Farrar has donated to California Democrats including Gov. Gavin Newsom, a vocal critic of Republican President Donald Trump, according to campaign finance records. Kazan has donated to both Democrats and Republicans. This story has been updated with to correct the full name of the UFW. It is United Farm Workers, not United Food also has been updated to correct to 'Alanis,' not 'Garcia,' in the seventh paragraph.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump 'border czar' responds to California farmworker's death after immigration sweep
President Donald Trump's "border czar" Tom Homan responded to the reported death of a Mexican farmworker following an immigration raid in California, calling the fatality "unfortunate" but defending Immigration and Customs Enforcement's actions in the area. "It's sad. It's unfortunate," Homan told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union." "It's obviously unfortunate when there's deaths," he said. "No one wants to see people die." Jaime Alanis, 57, died July 12 from injuries sustained the day before, when immigration agents swept through two cannabis farms north of Los Angeles and arrested around 200 people. According to multiple reports, Alanis climbed to the roof of a greenhouse in alleged attempt to evade officers. He then fell about 30 feet and broke his neck. Alanis died the next day in an area hospital. In his interview with CNN, Homan defended immigration officials, saying they were "doing their job" at the time of Alanis' fall. "He wasn't in ICE custody," Homan said. "ICE did not have hands on this person." Other workers were critically injured, according to United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero. The enforcement sparked a chaotic scene at the cannabis farms, the USA TODAY Network in California reported. On the morning of July 10, immigration agents descended on Glass House Farms near Camarillo and in Carpinteria – a greenhouse complex that is one of the state's largest marijuana farms. They blocked the main road and clashed with protesters until after dark as agents detained farm workers. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement July 11 that, in addition to the arrests of undocumented workers, "law enforcement rescued at least 10 migrant children from what looks like exploitation, forced child labor and potentially human trafficking or smuggling." Trump's immigration crackdown, a centerpiece of his reelection bid, has led to an increase in such raids. Alanis' death is the first known fatality to result from the administration's enforcement effort. Contributing: Isaiah Murtaugh and Cheri Carlson
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
California farmworker who fell from greenhouse roof during chaotic ICE raid dies
SAN FRANCISCO: A farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic ICE raid this week at a California cannabis facility died Saturday of his injuries. Jaime Alanis, 57, is the first known person to die during one of the Trump administration's ongoing immigration enforcement operations. Yesenia Duran, Alanis' niece, confirmed his death to The Associated Press. Duran posted on the fundraising site GoFundMe that her uncle was his family's only provider and he had been sending his earnings back to a wife and daughter in Mexico. Alanis worked at the farm for 10 years, his family said. The United Farm Workers reported Alanis' death prematurely late Friday. The Ventura County Medical Center later issued a statement authorized by the family saying he was still on life support. 'These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,' the UFW said recently in a statement on the social platform X. The union does not represent workers at the raided farm. The Department of Homeland Security said it executed criminal search warrants Thursday at Glass House Farms facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria. Glass House is a licensed cannabis grower. The farm in Camarillo also grows tomatoes and cucumbers. Garcia called family to say he was hiding and possibly was fleeing agents before he fell about 30 feet (9 meters) from the roof and broke his neck, according to information from family, hospital and government sources. Agents arrested some 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally and identified at least 10 immigrant children on the sites, DHS said in a statement. Alanis was not among them, the agency said. 'This man was not in and has not been in CBP or ICE custody,' DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. 'Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30 feet. CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.' Four U.S. citizens were arrested during the incident for allegedly 'assaulting or resisting officers,' according to DHS, and authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents. During the raid crowds of people gathered outside the facility in Camarillo to seek information about their relatives and protest immigration enforcement. Authorities clad in military-style helmets and uniforms faced off with the demonstrators, and people ultimately retreated amid acrid green and white billowing smoke. Glass House said in a statement that immigration agents had valid warrants. The company said workers were detained and it is helping provide them with legal representation. 'Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,' it said. The business was co-founded by Graham Farrar and Kyle Kazan. Farrar has donated to California Democrats including Gov. Gavin Newsom, a vocal critic of Republican President Donald Trump, according to campaign finance records. Kazan has donated to both Democrats and Republicans.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
California farmworker dies after falling from a greenhouse during ICE raid
A farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic ICE raid this week at a California cannabis facility died Saturday of his injuries. A protestor holds a sign reading "Undocumented Hands Feed You!" near federal agents blocking a road during an ICE immigration raid.(Getty Images via AFP) Jaime Alanis, 57, is the first person to die in one of the Trump administration's anti-immigration operations. Yesenia Duran, Alanis' niece, confirmed his death to The Associated Press. Duran has posted on the fundraising site GoFundMe to say her uncle was his family's only provider, and he had been sending his earnings back to his wife and daughter in Mexico. The United Food Workers said Alanis worked at the farm for 10 years. 'These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,' the union said recently in a statement on the social platform X. The UFW reported Alanis' death prematurely late Friday, but the Ventura County Medical Center later issued a statement authorized by the family saying he was still on life support. The Department of Homeland Security said it executed criminal search warrants Thursday at Glass House Farms facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria. Garcia called family to say he was hiding and possibly was fleeing agents before he fell about 30 feet (9 meters) from the roof and broke his neck, according to information from family, hospital and government sources. Agents arrested some 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally and identified at least 10 immigrant children on the sites, DHS said in a statement. Alanis was not among them, the agency said. 'This man was not in and has not been in CBP or ICE custody,' DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. 'Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30 feet. CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.' Four US citizens were arrested during the incident for allegedly 'assaulting or resisting officers,' according to DHS, and authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents. During the raid crowds of people gathered outside the facility in Camarillo to seek information about their relatives and protest immigration enforcement. Authorities clad in military-style helmets and uniforms faced off with the demonstrators, and people ultimately retreated amid acrid green and white billowing smoke. Glass House, a licensed California cannabis grower, said in a statement that immigration agents had valid warrants. The company said workers were detained, and it is helping provide them with legal representation. The farm also grows tomatoes and cucumbers. 'Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,' it said. The business is owned by Graham Farrar, a generous donor to California Democrats including Governor Gavin Newsom, a vocal critic of Republican President Donald Trump.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Farmworker dies Saturday after fleeing raid this week in Southern California
On Saturday morning, however, his family said that he was on life support and that it was deciding next steps, and Ventura County Medical Center said in a statement that he was still alive but in critical condition. Advertisement On Saturday evening, a lawyer retained by the family through the Mexican consulate said in a text message that Alanis had died Saturday afternoon. The lawyer, Jesus Arias, added that the family decided to 'disconnect' after tests for brain function yielded 'no good results.' Arias said arrangements were being made to transfer Alanis' body to his family in the Mexican state of Michoacán. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Elizabeth Strater, vice president for the United Farm Workers union, said in an interview Friday that during the chaos of the raid, Alanís 'fell 30 feet or more, and experienced devastating spinal and skull injuries.' An official who was briefed on the situation said Alanís was from Michoacán, had been working at the farm for more than a decade and had been trying to flee from agents when he fell. He was in his late 50s. Advertisement Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said Friday that Alanís had not been in federal custody and denied that the agents involved in the raid were the reason he climbed the greenhouse. 'Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30 feet,' she said in a statement. Agents called for help, she added, 'to get him care as quickly as possible.' Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department, said that eight people had been transferred to area hospitals in response to 911 calls Thursday and that four other people had been treated at the scene. In a statement, Teresa Romero, president of the UFW, said that several farmworkers had been critically injured in the enforcement actions and that others, including U.S. citizens, remained unaccounted for. She said those citizens who were detained 'were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones' before being released. The Trump administration last month began to aggressively target worksites in California, including farms, as it seeks to sharply bolster the number of arrests and deportations of immigrants in the country without legal permission. President Donald Trump has said that he wanted to allow some farmworkers to stay in the country legally. However, raids in agricultural areas have persisted. Federal agents, backed by National Guard troops in military-style vehicles, raided two locations operated by Glass House Farms on Thursday. One was in Camarillo, a Ventura County town about 50 miles outside Los Angeles, and another was in Carpinteria, a town in Santa Barbara County. Advertisement News of the raids Thursday rapidly spread, prompting protesters and community members to rush to the scenes. Clashes broke out between hundreds of protesters and the agents. During the confrontation in the Camarillo area, one protester was seen on video appearing to fire a pistol at officers. The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that the protester fired a gun at law enforcement officers and that the FBI was offering $50,000 for information leading to the person's arrest. The agency said four U.S. citizens were being criminally processed for assaulting or resisting officers and that the protesters had damaged vehicles. 'At least 10 migrant children were rescued from potential exploitation, forced labor and human trafficking,' Homeland Security officials said in a statement. Glass House Farms said late Thursday that its greenhouses had been visited by federal authorities with search warrants and that the company had fully complied. It is legal for licensed companies to grow cannabis in California. This article originally appeared in
