A federal judge in Los Angeles blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “roving” patrols in Southern California on Friday, July 11, 2025, a move that directly challenges the agency’s practice of racially-biased arrests. Is it illegal to conduct patrols identifying people based on race alone, aggressively questioning them, and detaining them without reasonable suspicion? According to Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, the answer is a resounding yes.
A Deadly Week for Farmworkers
The ruling came just one day after a tragic incident in Ventura County, California, where Jaime Alanis, a Mexican farmworker, died after falling more than 30 feet from a greenhouse during a raid by federal agents on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Alanis had worked at the state-licensed cannabis farm for over a decade.
During the raids on farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo, ICE agents detained over 200 people, including U.S. citizens and protesters. As of Saturday morning, at least two of the citizens detained remained missing, according to reports from loved ones and colleagues.
Citizen Detentions and Allegations of Abuse
The United Farm Workers union reported that “many workers—including U.S. citizens—were held by federal authorities at the farm for 8 hours or more.” U.S. citizen workers allegedly were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones before being released. Thursday’s actions resulted in eight hospitalizations and multiple injuries.
Quick fact: Thirteen people have died in ICE custody so far this year.
Footage from the scene showed federal agents using tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters, a tactic likely to continue despite Judge Frimpong’s order, which doesn’t apply to raids with warrants.
Escalating Violence and a History of Abuse
A heavily armed, masked force dedicated to mass detentions will inevitably lead to death and suffering. Reports and videos have surfaced showing ICE agents chasing farmworkers, physically assaulting individuals, and damaging property. Abuses and rights violations within immigrant detention centers remain widespread.
This pattern isn’t new, but has been intensified under the current administration, with increased funding and a license for violent escalation. The consequence will likely be more deaths in ICE custody and continued suffering for millions.
“These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families.”
Numerous workers and protesters detained on Thursday remain unaccounted for. George Retes, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen and disabled army veteran, was reportedly grabbed from his car by agents. His sister, Destinee Majana, told reporters in tears that agents broke his window, pepper-sprayed him, and detained him. Retes remained missing 24 hours after the raid.
Jonathan Caravello, a U.S. citizen and professor at California State University Channel Islands, is also missing. The California Faculty Association posted on social media Friday that “4 masked agents dragged Jonathan away into an unmarked [vehicle] without identifying themselves, without giving the reason for arrest, and without disclosing where they are taking him.”
Government Claims and Contradictions
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that “four U.S. citizens are being criminally processed for assaulting or resisting officers,” a claim often leveled against those arrested without justification, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and New Jersey Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver in recent cases.
The DHS also described the raids as heroic efforts, claiming federal agents “rescued at least 10 migrant children” in a press release.
