Trump: "These slimeballs": Farmworker dies after ICE raid on cannabis farm

The California National Guard stormed a state-licensed cannabis farm near Los Angeles on Thursday. Approximately 200 farmworkers were arrested. Clashes with protesters ensued. The troops apparently used harsh force. One man has now succumbed to his serious injuries.

In California, a farmworker was injured and died during a raid by the US immigration authorities (ICE) on a legal cannabis plantation. In a fundraising appeal, the family stated that the man had "passed away." The family had previously stated that the man, who was from Mexico, had suffered life-threatening injuries during the raid.

The raid took place on Thursday in Ventura County, about 90 kilometers from Los Angeles. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the operation in Carpinteria and Camarillo resulted in the arrest of about 200 undocumented immigrants and the rescue of ten children "from potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking."

Clashes broke out between ICE officers and demonstrators protesting the crackdown. The Department of Homeland Security said more than 500 rioters attempted to disrupt the operation. Television footage showed some demonstrators throwing objects at law enforcement vehicles. Law enforcement officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. Federal immigration authorities were supported in the Camarillo operation by California National Guard troops and Border Patrol units with helicopters and military vehicles.

"My Uncle Jaime was a hardworking, innocent farmer," the family's appeal read. "He was being pursued by ICE agents, and we were told he fell nine meters." He sustained "catastrophic" injuries.

A ministry spokeswoman said the man climbed a greenhouse during the raid and then "fell from a height of nine meters." Emergency services immediately called an ambulance "to treat him as quickly as possible."

Trump calls the protesters "slimeballs"

US President Donald Trump wrote on his online platform, Truth Social, that he had seen footage of "thugs" throwing rocks at ICE vehicles and causing "tremendous damage." He called for "the arrest of these slimeballs by any means necessary." The owner of the plantation, Glass House Brands, stated that it "never knowingly violated applicable hiring regulations and has never employed minors."

Meanwhile, a U.S. federal judge ordered a halt to federal agents' "roaming patrols" in Los Angeles for the arrest of suspected undocumented immigrants. Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong justified her ruling by saying the searches were based "solely on ethnicity" or whether they spoke Spanish or English with an accent.

During the election campaign, Trump announced his intention to crack down on immigrants without legal residency permits and deport millions of undocumented foreigners. The US president's actions are highly controversial.