Latest news with #JaimeAlanis
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Relentless immigration raids are changing California's way of life
When immigration agents came to the farm where he worked, Jaime Alanis tried to to the roof of a greenhouse, while agents rounded up and arrested dozens of his coworkers below, Mr Alanis hoped to stay out of he neck was broken and skull fractured. He died later in hospital. Meanwhile, immigration agents fired teargas at a crowd of some 500 protestors, who had gathered to stop the raids outside two legal cannabis farms. Some threw rocks, and the FBI says one fired a gun at federal agents. Mr Alanis's death, and the violent clashes that ensued at those cannabis farms, are the latest examples of the kind of chaos that has swept across Southern California since the beginning of June, when immigration raids began to intensify in the region. Those crackdowns sparked protests, which led to US President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard and US Marines, to protect federal officers from the demonstrators and to ensure that his mass deportations, which he had long promised, were carried out. While many Americans support President Trump's tough immigration policies, the relentlessness of the raids in the region has also triggered a fierce backlash from neighbours and activists. Southern California is home to an estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants, many of whom have been forced into hiding - too afraid to go to work, school or even the grocery store. In so doing, the raids have altered the landscape of one of the country's most populous regions. Businesses are shuttered, cities have cancelled community events - including Fourth of July fireworks celebrations."Everyone's looking over their shoulders," says a "raspado" vendor in Los Angeles on a recent Sunday, where normally crowded soccer fields and picnic tables were mostly deserted. As she prepared the shaved ice with sweet strawberry syrup, she seemed wary of questions but grateful for a customer."It's never like this," she said. The raids at the two cannabis farms are now being touted as the largest immigration operation since President Trump took office. Of the 361 migrants detained during those raids, four had "extensive" criminal records, including rape, kidnapping, and attempted child molestation, media reported. Immigration officers also found 14 migrant children, who the administration claims have been "rescued from potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking".While the administration frequently highlights the convicted rapists, murderers and drug dealers they have arrested in operations, scores of immigrants - many with no criminal convictions who have spent decades building businesses, families and homes - have been caught in the crosshairs."They just kidnap you," says Carlos, who didn't want his full last name used out of fear that he could be deported to his native Guatemala. He has been too afraid to go to work since his sister, Emma, was detained while selling tacos outside a Home Depot last month. "If I'm brown, if I'm Hispanic, they just come and catch you and take you."The Trump administration says claims that people are being targeted because of their skin colour are "disgusting" and false. Carlos says he feels a bit safer since a federal judge in California ordered the Trump administration to stop "indiscriminately" detaining people with "roving patrols" of federal agents. But he doesn't trust that they will stop, and he needs to go back to work."How am I going to pay my rent," he says. "I'm stuck inside." Churches and immigrant rights groups have been organising food delivery for people in hiding. They have also been training people to protect immigrants out on the streets using apps, text chains and social media to alert people when federal agents are dozens of armed agents in camouflage descended on MacArthur Park on horseback and in armoured vehicles earlier this month, few were surprised. Word had spread quickly of the operation – and rumours had swirled that "la migra" was coming hours before the troops arrived. Dozens of protesters swarmed in to greet the troops – including LA Mayor Karen Bass, who demanded they leave the say no arrests were made and no one was seen running to escape. By the time troops arrived – with professional looking camera crews recording the overt show of force – the only people in the park were protesters, some kids at a summer camp, and some homeless people asleep in the grass."It's been gut wrenching," says Betsy Bolte, who lives near the park and had showed up to protest and yell obscenities at the agents."It's war against the people – the heart and soul of the economy. And it's all intentional. It's part of the plan," she said, crying while showing reporters her footage. Activists accuse the government of terrorising its own people."This is part of a programme of terror. From Los Angeles to the Central Coast, the Trump administration is weaponising the federal government and military against Californians," says the advocacy group not all Californians agree. President Trump won 38% of the ballots in November. Recently, the BBC featured the story of one woman who is still devoted to the president and his mass deportation plans, even while she's locked up as an illegal immigrant. And a lone Trump supporter showed up at the protest at the cannabis farm last week, only to be beaten and jeered at and spit on by ironically, the architect of many of President Trump's deportation policies, is an Angeleno himself. Senior White House aide Stephen Miller was raised in liberal Santa Monica where even as a teenager he was known on conservative radio for condemning the use of Spanish in his told Fox News this week that California's "violent" Democratic politicians who show up to protest were inciting violence against federal immigration agents."No city can aid and abet an invasion of this country over the will of the American people and the law enforcement officers empowered to enact the American people's wills," he Trump's "border czar" Tom Homan says Los Angeles has itself to blame because LA's sanctuary laws prevent local law enforcement from cooperating with immigration agents inside jails, where they could detain immigrant offenders outside of the public eye."We're going to double down, triple down on sanctuary cities," Mr Homan told reporters, adding that they do not have such overt public raids in Florida because all the sheriffs there let immigration agents into the jails to detain immigrants."If they don't let us arrest the bad guy in the county jail, they're going to arrest them in the community. We're going to arrest them at a work site." In Los Angeles, the impact of the month of raids is noticeable. In parks and neighbourhoods once bustling with shoppers, foot traffic, music and street vendors, the absence of familiar sounds is are 88 cities in LA County and many of them have cancelled public summer events due to the ongoing immigration enforcement activity."Many residents have expressed fear and uncertainty, leading them to remain indoors, refrain from work, and withdraw from daily public life," the city of Huntington Park said in a statement about cancelled events. "Our priority is and will continue to be the safety and peace of mind of our some immigrants are afraid to turn up for their scheduled hearings, because they are being detained outside Ara Torosian of Cornerstone Church in West LA said the bulk of his Persian language congregants were asylum seekers. One couple with a three-year-old daughter were detained outside court when they showed up for what they thought was a "routine" hearing. Now they are in Texas at a family detention members of his congregation were detained in June – two of them on the street as Pastor Torosian filmed and begged the agents to stop."The are not criminals," he said. "They were obeying everything, not hiding anything."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Farm worker dies a day after chaotic immigration raid at California farm
A farm worker died on Friday from injuries that he sustained a day earlier in raids on two California cannabis farm sites as US immigration authorities confirmed they arrested 200 workers after a tense standoff with authorities. Jaime Alanis's death was confirmed in a social media post by the United Farm Workers advocacy group. 'We tragically can confirm that a farm worker has died of injuries they sustained as a result of yesterday's immigration enforcement action,' the post read. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that authorities executed criminal search warrants in Carpinteria and Camarillo, California, on Thursday. They arrested immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally and there were also at least 10 immigrant children on site, the statement said. Related: 'Reality TV spectacle': outrage as federal agents raid LA neighborhood with horses and armored cars Four US citizens were arrested for 'assaulting or resisting officers', the department said. Authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of one person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents. At least one worker was hospitalized with grave injuries. During the raid, crowds of people gathered outside Glass House Farms at the Camarillo location to demand information about their relatives and protest against immigration enforcement. A chaotic scene developed outside the farm that grows tomatoes, cucumbers and cannabis as authorities clad in helmets and uniforms faced off with the demonstrators. Acrid green and white billowing smoke then forced community members to retreat. 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 was helping provide them with legal representation. 'Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,' the statement said. It is legal to grow and sell cannabis in California with proper licensing. State records show the company has multiple active licenses to cultivate cannabis. On Friday, about two dozen people waited outside the Camarillo farm to retrieve the cars of loved ones and speak to managers about what happened. Relatives of Jaime Alanis, who has worked picking tomatoes at the farm for 10 years, said he called his wife in Mexico during the raid to tell her immigration agents had arrived and that he was hiding with others inside the farm. 'The next thing we heard was that he was in the hospital,' Juan Duran, Alanis's brother-in-law, said in Spanish, his voice breaking. Elizabeth Strater, national vice-president of the United Farm Workers, said Alanis was injured after a 30ft fall from a building during the raid. After immigration agents arrived at Glass House's farm in Camarillo on Thursday morning, workers called family members to let them know authorities were there. Relatives and advocates headed to the farm about 50 miles (80km) north-west of downtown Los Angeles to try to find out what was going on, and began protesting outside. Federal authorities formed a line blocking the road leading through farm fields to the company's greenhouses. Protesters were seen shouting at agents wearing camouflage gear, helmets and gas masks. The billowing smoke drove protesters to retreat. It was unclear why authorities threw the canisters or if they released chemicals such as teargas. Ventura county fire authorities responding to a 911 call of people having trouble breathing said three people were taken to nearby hospitals. At the farm, agents arrested workers and removed them by bus. Others, including US citizens, were detained at the site for hours while agents investigated. The incident came as federal immigration agents have ramped up arrests in southern California at car washes, farms and Home Depot parking lots, stoking widespread fear among immigrant communities. The mother of an American worker said her son was held at the worksite for 11 hours and told her agents took workers' cellphones to prevent them from calling family or filming and forced them to erase cellphone video of agents at the site. The woman said her son told her agents marked the men's hands with ink to distinguish their immigration status. She spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because she feared reprisals from the government. United Farm Workers said in statement that some US citizens were not yet accounted for. Maria Servin, 68, said her son had worked at the farm for 18 years and was helping to build a greenhouse. She said she spoke to her son, who is undocumented, after hearing of the raid and offered to pick him up. 'He said not to come because they were surrounded and there was even a helicopter. That was the last time I spoke to him,' Servin, a US citizen, said in Spanish. She said she went to the farm anyway but federal agents were shooting teargas and rubber bullets and she decided it was not safe to stay. She and her daughter returned to the farm on Friday and were told her son had been arrested on Thursday. They still don't know where he is being held. 'I regret 1,000 times that I didn't help him get his documents,' Servin said. The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select 'Secure Messaging'. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post See our guide at for alternative methods and the pros and cons of each.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Farm worker who died after California Ice raid was ‘hardworking and innocent', family says
The farm worker who died from injuries he sustained after falling from a greenhouse roof during an Ice raid of a California cannabis farm was a 'hard-working, innocent farmer' and the sole provider for his wife and daughter, his family says. Jaime Alanís died a day after a frenzied immigration raid of Glass House Farms in Ventura county where authorities arrested at least 200 workers. The 57-year-old, who was from the town of Huajúmbaro in Michoacán, Mexico, is the first known person to die during the Trump administration's enhanced immigration enforcement operations in southern California. The federal government's ramped up enforcement activities have brought chaos across southern California as Ice agents descend on parks, car washes and farms. The operations – and the mobilization of US military – have sparked widespread outrage and protests as authorities arrest a growing number of immigrants with no criminal history, despite the administration's claims that its primary concern was 'violent criminals'. US citizens have also been swept up in the raids. The Department of Homeland Security said it executed criminal search warrants on Thursday in Camarillo and Carpinteria, California, at facilities of Glass House Farms, which grows cannabis, tomatoes and cucumbers. Agents arrested hundreds of people suspected in being in the country without legal statuses and identified at least 10 immigrant children. Related: Troops, terror and tears in Los Angeles as Ice raids show no sign of slowing During the raid Alanís called his family to say he was hiding and possibly fleeing agents before he fell about 30ft (9 metres) from the roof, according to information from family, hospital and government sources. Family members said he suffered catastrophic injuries – including a broken neck, fractured skull and severed artery – during the 'reckless' raid. Alanís was never in Customs and Border Protection or Ice custody, Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, 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.' Alanís had worked at Glass House for a decade and was 'his family's only provider', according to a GoFundMe fundraiser by his niece, Yesenia Duran. 'My uncle Jaime was just a hard-working, innocent farmer. He has his wife and daughter waiting for him,' Duran wrote. United Farm Workers pledged to assist the family. 'Our hearts are heavy for the grieving family of Jaime Alanís, who died from injuries sustained during a chaotic raid on Thursday,' the advocacy group said. 'We'll do everything we can to support them. We continue to work with hundreds of farm worker families navigating the aftermath of this violent raid.'
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Farm worker who died after California Ice raid was ‘hardworking and innocent', family says
The farm worker who died from injuries he sustained after falling from a greenhouse roof during an Ice raid of a California cannabis farm was a 'hard-working, innocent farmer' and the sole provider for his wife and daughter, his family says. Jaime Alanís died a day after a frenzied immigration raid of Glass House Farms in Ventura county where authorities arrested at least 200 workers. The 57-year-old, who was from the town of Huajúmbaro in Michoacán, Mexico, is the first known person to die during the Trump administration's enhanced immigration enforcement operations in southern California. The federal government's ramped up enforcement activities have brought chaos across southern California as Ice agents descend on parks, car washes and farms. The operations – and the mobilization of US military – have sparked widespread outrage and protests as authorities arrest a growing number of immigrants with no criminal history, despite the administration's claims that its primary concern was 'violent criminals'. US citizens have also been swept up in the raids. The Department of Homeland Security said it executed criminal search warrants on Thursday in Camarillo and Carpinteria, California, at facilities of Glass House Farms, which grows cannabis, tomatoes and cucumbers. Agents arrested hundreds of people suspected in being in the country without legal statuses and identified at least 10 immigrant children. During the raid Alanís called his family to say he was hiding and possibly fleeing agents before he fell about 30ft (9 metres) from the roof, according to information from family, hospital and government sources. Family members said he suffered catastrophic injuries – including a broken neck, fractured skull and severed artery – during the 'reckless' raid. Alanís was never in Customs and Border Protection or Ice custody, Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, 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.' Alanís had worked at Glass House for a decade and was 'his family's only provider', according to a GoFundMe fundraiser by his niece, Yesenia Duran. 'My uncle Jaime was just a hard-working, innocent farmer. He has his wife and daughter waiting for him,' Duran wrote. United Farm Workers pledged to assist the family. 'Our hearts are heavy for the grieving family of Jaime Alanís, who died from injuries sustained during a chaotic raid on Thursday,' the advocacy group said. 'We'll do everything we can to support them. We continue to work with hundreds of farm worker families navigating the aftermath of this violent raid.'
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Farm worker who died after California Ice raid was ‘hardworking and innocent', family says
The farm worker who died from injuries he sustained after falling from a greenhouse roof during an Ice raid of a California cannabis farm was a 'hard-working, innocent farmer' and the sole provider for his wife and daughter, his family says. Jaime Alanís died a day after a frenzied immigration raid of Glass House Farms in Ventura county where authorities arrested at least 200 workers. The 57-year-old, who was from the town of Huajúmbaro in Michoacán, Mexico, is the first known person to die during the Trump administration's enhanced immigration enforcement operations in southern California. The federal government's ramped up enforcement activities have brought chaos across southern California as Ice agents descend on parks, car washes and farms. The operations – and the mobilization of US military – have sparked widespread outrage and protests as authorities arrest a growing number of immigrants with no criminal history, despite the administration's claims that its primary concern was 'violent criminals'. US citizens have also been swept up in the raids. The Department of Homeland Security said it executed criminal search warrants on Thursday in Camarillo and Carpinteria, California, at facilities of Glass House Farms, which grows cannabis, tomatoes and cucumbers. Agents arrested hundreds of people suspected in being in the country without legal statuses and identified at least 10 immigrant children. During the raid Alanís called his family to say he was hiding and possibly fleeing agents before he fell about 30ft (9 metres) from the roof, according to information from family, hospital and government sources. Family members said he suffered catastrophic injuries – including a broken neck, fractured skull and severed artery – during the 'reckless' raid. Alanís was never in Customs and Border Protection or Ice custody, Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, 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.' Alanís had worked at Glass House for a decade and was 'his family's only provider', according to a GoFundMe fundraiser by his niece, Yesenia Duran. 'My uncle Jaime was just a hard-working, innocent farmer. He has his wife and daughter waiting for him,' Duran wrote. United Farm Workers pledged to assist the family. 'Our hearts are heavy for the grieving family of Jaime Alanís, who died from injuries sustained during a chaotic raid on Thursday,' the advocacy group said. 'We'll do everything we can to support them. We continue to work with hundreds of farm worker families navigating the aftermath of this violent raid.'
