News | International
14 Jul 2025 0:11
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > International

    Hundreds arrested after cannabis farm raid in California

    US federal agents have arrested hundreds of workers during a immigration raid in the latest escalation of President Donald Trump's campaign for mass deportations.


    A California farm worker has died days after US immigration agents raided a cannabis operation, according to his family. 

    The man's family confirmed his death after earlier false reports.

    The raid took place on Thursday, local time, and resulted in the arrest of hundreds of workers, the group said.

    Separately, a federal judge in California has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily halt some of its most aggressive tactics in rounding up undocumented immigrants.

    Dozens of migrant-rights activists faced off with federal agents in rural southern California on Thursday.

    It was the latest escalation of President Donald Trump's campaign for mass deportations of immigrants in the US illegally.

    His administration has made conflicting statements about whether immigration agents will target the farm labour workforce, about half of which is unauthorised to work in the US, according to government estimates.

    About 200 arrested

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said approximately 200 people in the country illegally were arrested in the raid, which targeted two locations of the cannabis operation Glass House Farms.

    Agents also found 10 migrant minors at the farm, the department said in an emailed statement.

    The facility is under investigation for child labour violations, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott posted on X.

    The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The scene at the farm on Thursday was chaotic, with federal agents in helmets and face masks using tear gas and smoke canisters on angry protesters, according to photos and videos of the scene.

    On Friday, several farm workers were injured, and the man who died was fatally hurt after a 9-metre fall from a building during the raid, said Elizabeth Strater, national vice-president of the United Farm Workers (UFW).

    US citizens were detained during the raid, and some remained unaccounted-for, she said.

    DHS said its agents were not responsible for the man's death, saying that "although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a green house and fell 30 feet".

    The worker who died was identified as Jaime Alanis on a verified GoFundMe page created by his family, who said they were raising money to support themselves and to cover his burial in Mexico.

    Agents immediately called for a medical evacuation, DHS said.

    Warnings on food supply

    California Rural Legal Assistance, which provides legal services and other support to farm workers, is working on picking up checks for detained Glass House workers, said lawyer Angelica Preciado.

    Some Glass House workers detained during the raid were only able to call family members after they signed voluntary deportation orders, and were told they could be jailed for life because they worked at a cannabis facility, Ms Preciado said.

    DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin rejected those allegations, saying in an emailed statement that "allegations that ICE or CBP agents denied detainees from calling legal assistance are unequivocally false".

    Some citizen workers who were detained reported only being released from custody after deleting photos and videos of the raid from their phones, UFW president Teresa Romero said in a statement.

    "These violent and cruel federal actions terrorise American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families," Ms Romero said.

    Farm groups have warned that mass deportation of farm workers would cripple the country's food supply chain.

    'Roving patrols'

    In her most recent comments, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said there would be "no amnesty" for farm workers from deportation.

    Mr Trump, though, has said migrant workers should be permitted to stay on farms.

    US District Court Judge Maame Frimpong granted two temporary restraining orders blocking the administration from detaining immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally based on racial profiling and from denying detained people the right to speak with a lawyer.

    The ruling says the administration is violating the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution by conducting "roving patrols" to sweep up suspected undocumented immigrants based on their being Latinos, and then denying them access to lawyers.

    "What the federal government would have this Court believe — in the face of a mountain of evidence presented in this case — is that none of this is actually happening," Judge Frimpong wrote in her ruling.

    Reuters

    © 2025 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

     Other International News
     13 Jul: US President Donald Trump reflects on assassination attempt one year on
     13 Jul: Why top Trump officials are fighting over an Epstein document they say does not exist
     13 Jul: Millions will die by 2029 if US funding for HIV programs isn't replaced, UN warns
     13 Jul: Fast-spreading wildfires force evacuations in parts of the Grand Canyon National Park
     13 Jul: Air India crash preliminary report brings little comfort for victims' families
     13 Jul: Gabi Ruffels shares Evian Championship lead, Grace Kim and Minjee Lee in contention
     13 Jul: Iga Swiatek flattens Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in just 57 minutes to claim Wimbledon women's singles title
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    The men's Black Sox have booked a spot in their first Softball World Cup final since 2017 More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Belief the Government needs to step up, and make urgent changes to the energy market More...



     Today's News

    Auckland:
    Several crews are at the scene of a fire in Auckland's Titirangi 21:56

    Education:
    Four schools in Nelson Tasman will be closed for the first day of the term following severe rainfall 21:17

    International:
    US President Donald Trump reflects on assassination attempt one year on 21:06

    Rugby:
    The men's Black Sox have booked a spot in their first Softball World Cup final since 2017 18:56

    Christchurch:
    A person has died after a crash involving two vehicles on Telegraph Road in Canterbury's Burnham 18:36

    Politics:
    Why top Trump officials are fighting over an Epstein document they say does not exist 18:26

    International:
    Millions will die by 2029 if US funding for HIV programs isn't replaced, UN warns 18:16

    Rugby League:
    The Warriors have clinched their first NRL win in more than a month, after a 34-14 victory over the Tigers in Auckland 18:06

    Accident and Emergency:
    State Highway One is closed south of Otago's Hampden following a two-vehicle crash 18:06

    Cricket:
    The Black Caps have boosted their squad for the upcoming T20 tri series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, while a number of players complete Major League Cricket duties in the US 17:26


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd