The Department of Homeland Security is pushing back amid ongoing raids at California farms, including against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, while drawing attention to the presence of unaccompanied alien minors and their apparent exploitation as cheap labor in those operations.
The pushback comes after ICE agents raided a marijuana farm in California, with footage of the arrests going viral.
“The Biden administration lost ~300,000 unaccompanied children—many of these innocent children were trafficked and exploited,” DHS posted on X. “At the Ventura, California marijuana facility, [ICE] 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.”
“Unaccompanied migrant children shouldn’t be forced into labor at California marijuana facilities,” the DHS account added, along with a historic sketch of a man stepping up in a town hall meeting to voice his opinion.
Not long after, Newsom posted a furious response to the raids, prompting the DHS account to reply: “Why are there children working at a marijuana facility, Gavin?”
On Friday, meanwhile, President Donald Trump stated that he has given federal immigration agents “total authorization” to protect themselves following clashes with protesters during an enforcement operation at a cannabis farm in California.
Trump was traveling to Washington from Texas, where he had toured areas affected by devastating floods that resulted in at least 120 deaths. During his journey, he wrote a lengthy post on Truth Social addressing the violence against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
“I am on my way back from Texas, and watched in disbelief as THUGS were violently throwing rocks and bricks at ICE Officers while they were moving down a roadway in their car and/or official vehicle. Tremendous damage was done to these brand new vehicles,” the president began.
“I know for a fact that these Officers are having a hard time with allowing this to happen in that it shows such total disrespect for LAW AND ORDER,” he continued.
“Therefore, I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, and Border Czar, Tom Homan, to instruct all ICE, Homeland Security, or any other Law Enforcement Officer who is on the receiving end of thrown rocks, bricks, or any other form of assault, to stop their car, and arrest these SLIMEBALLS, using whatever means is necessary to do so,” Trump added.
“I am giving Total Authorization for ICE to protect itself, just like they protect the Public. I never want to see a car carrying a Law Enforcement Officer attacked again! AUTHORIZATION IMMEDIATELY GRANTED FOR ARREST AND INCARCERATION,” he said.
Federal authorities conducted raids on Glass House Farms in Camarillo and Carpinteria. Authorities deployed tear gas, and there were reports of objects thrown at agents, Fox News reported.
The United Farm Workers said one worker died from his injuries, but DHS provided further clarification on exactly what happened.
“This man was not in and has not been in CBP or ICE custody,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “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.”
Border czar Tom Homan called on Democratic politicians to tone down their rhetoric against immigration officials earlier this week following the shooting of a Texas police officer outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center last weekend.
“The rhetoric against the men and women of ICE is skyrocketing, especially by members of Congress,” Homan told “America’s Newsroom” on Monday. “We have senators, we have congresspeople [who] compare ICE to the Nazis, compare ICE to racists, and it just continues.”