ICE Raids Target Farm Workers Along the Central Coast

A protestor holding a "No Human is Illegal" sign in Santa Barbara during the "No Kings" protest on June 14, 2025 (Photo: Jackie Spafford / edhat)
A protestor holding a "No Human is Illegal" sign in Santa Barbara during the "No Kings" protest on June 14, 2025 (Photo: Jackie Spafford / edhat)

Central Coast communities are reeling after a wave of immigration raids disrupted agricultural operations and sowed fear in immigrant communities across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents reportedly detained over 40 farmworkers in workplace raids earlier this week, leaving farms unstaffed and families on edge.

The raids, which reportedly targeted agricultural fields and packinghouses, have resulted in significant disruptions to the workforce that underpins much of California’s food supply.

Approximately 25% to 45% of farmworkers in Ventura County have stopped showing up for work out of fear, according to Maureen McGuire, CEO of the county’s farm bureau. Farms in Ventura County produce strawberries, lemons, and avocados, among other crops, with ripple effects already being felt in local and national food supply chains.

“When our workforce is afraid, fields go unharvested, packinghouses fall behind, and market supply chains, from local grocery stores to national retailers, are affected,” McGuire said. “This impacts every American who eats.”

Warnings Issued Amid Expanding Raids

In response to the immigration crackdown, the San Luis Obispo Farm Bureau issued an alert to its members, warning that ICE activity seen in Ventura County could spread northward. The bureau provided advice on how employers and employees should handle situations involving ICE agents.

“We want to make sure agricultural employers and employees are informed of their rights,” the bureau said in an email to farmers on Wednesday.

805 UndocuFund, a nonprofit supporting undocumented families, estimates that more than 80 individuals have been detained or deported in ICE raids across the Central Coast since January, not including the 40 farmworkers taken into custody on Tuesday. The Mexican Consulate has been assisting families affected by the latest detentions and working closely with local groups.

Fear on the Ground

The raids have left many farmworkers fearful not only of deportation but of what it might mean for their families. One strawberry worker in Ventura County, who has lived in the U.S. for two decades, spoke anonymously to the Associated Press about the trauma unfolding in the fields.

“The first thing that came to my mind is, who will stay with my kids?” he said in Spanish. “It’s something so sad and unfortunate because we are not criminals.”

Witnesses reported that unmarked vehicles arrived at the fields unannounced, with agents arresting several workers while others fled. Some crew leaders attempted to shield their workers by asking agents to leave. However, the damage had already been done: workers are staying home out of fear, leaving fruit unpicked and reducing incomes.

“These are lost days, days that we’re missing work,” the worker said. “But what else can we do?”

A video captured by a flower vendor was posted to social media Tuesday showing a worker running through rows of crops in Oxnard, with two presumed ICE agents giving chase while a white unmarked van arrives.

 

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Political Backlash and Community Impact

While the Trump administration has defended the raids by claiming that they target “criminal illegal aliens,” evidence contradicts this assertion. Many detained workers reportedly had no criminal record and were simply performing farm labor when apprehended. This discrepancy has drawn harsh criticism from elected officials and community leaders.

Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) called the arrests unjustified and harmful, emphasizing their impact on both families and local economies.

“Let us be clear: these raids are not about public safety,” Carbajal said in a statement. “They are about stoking fear. These are not criminals being targeted. They are hardworking people and families who are an essential part of Ventura County. These men and women are the backbone of our farms, our fields, our construction and service industries, and our communities.”

California, which produces over a third of the country’s vegetables and more than three-quarters of its fruits and nuts, relies heavily on immigrant labor. Large-scale raids threaten these industries, especially during critical harvest times, further straining farms that are already contending with labor shortages.

Know Your Rights

Local advocacy groups and nonprofits have been holding meetings and spreading information through social media for all citizens to know their rights when it comes to ICE encounters.

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center is providing red cards with the following information:

You have constitutional rights:
• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.
• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.
• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.
• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

“All immigrants have legal rights, even if they do not have legal immigration status. Learn how to protect your rights and prepare for contact with immigration,” states the National Immigration Law Center on their website with a guide on how to respond to ICE.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has created a “Know Your Rights” guide as well.

805UndocuFund has an immigrant rapid response hotline at 805.870.8855 where anyone can report ICE activity and request information.

Edhat Staff

Written by Edhat Staff

Articles written by the dedicated staff of edhat.com. Contact us at info@edhat.com with questions.

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15 Comments

  1. The other day, Trump posted ““Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,”.

    Today he told ICE to stop making arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels. But he didn’t tell them to stop arresting farmworkers or people who “look like” farmworkers, or going to people’s homes or to courtrooms or abducting people who care about Palestinians off the street, etc. etc.

    Keep protesting … it makes a difference.

  2. Is it just talk or not?!

    NY Times 6/14:

    “But the decision had been made. Later on Thursday, a senior official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tatum King, sent an email to regional leaders at the agency informing them of new guidance. Agents were to “hold on all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels.”

    It remains to be seen how effective the order will be and whether Mr. Trump will stick with his decision. Raids at other work sites, like the one in Los Angeles’s garment industry that led to mass protests, are still allowed. On Friday, the day after Mr. Trump issued the new guidance, farm workers were being rounded up in the fields of Oxnard, 50 miles north of Los Angeles, according to advocates.

    But the president’s decision to shield farmers and the hospitality industry — a business he knows well from his years as an owner of luxury hotels — reveals the tension between his deportation efforts and concerns about maintaining crucial support in his political coalition.

    This account of Mr. Trump’s retreat is based on interviews with 11 people, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions.

    “It’s entirely predictable that Trump would backpedal on enforcement in the sectors he cares about — hospitality, where his own businesses operate, and agriculture, where his voters are over represented,” said Wayne Cornelius, a professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego, who researched immigrant labor.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/us/politics/trump-immigration-raids-workers.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PE8.5Gm_.83uMVusy10F3&smid=url-share

  3. Our president is ridiculous and unfathomably unreasonable:

    News-reading leading to apoplexy is not a good thing. 🤪

    “Questioning workers: Mr. Trump paused during a White House event for the installation of a new flagpole to ask whether any of the workers were in the country illegally. Mr. Trump, who has recently wavered on his hard-line immigration policy, then assured the men he was on their side and suggested one of them could catch the eye of a movie producer. Read more ›
    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/us/politics/trump-flagpole-immigrants.html

    “On Wednesday, he fashioned himself as a potential protector of the men at work at the White House.

    “Do we have anybody here?” he asked, turning to the workers. “Any illegal immigrants?”

    When no one responded, he told the men it was the news media, not him, who would be checking into them.

    “They’ll find out,” he said, motioning to the reporters in front of him. “They’ll be checking you. You won’t believe it. Your whole life will be destroyed because of this press conference.”

    He then assured them he’d be on their side.

    “Don’t worry, I think you’re going to be OK,” he said to one man. “I’ll be right behind you. Far behind.”

    The men laughed.

    “No, I’ll be right behind you,” Mr. Trump continued.

    At another point in the news conference, the president suggested that one of the workers may even become a movie star.

    “But remember that somewhere in this group, there’s somebody that is going to captivate some movie producer,” he said, adding: “Somebody is going to say that guy is perfect for a movie, and you’re going to become a star, and your friends are going to call you, and you won’t even return them.”

    It was all a bit perplexing for a president who has pushed some of the most aggressive immigration policies in decades while instituting new exceptions for farm and hotel workers.

    A reporter asked about the conflicting signals the administration is sending, with Mr. Trump’s order to back off raids at farms and the Department of Homeland Security’s stance that work site raids would remain a priority.

    Those moves have prompted internal conflict on the right.

    On Wednesday, there was not much clarity coming from the president.

    “Everybody’s right,” he said.”

    AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHH!!!

  4. People need to start paying attention to what is going on. This was in the NYT today:
    >>>Images of Handcuffed Democrats Start to Pile Up in Trump’s Crackdown<<<
    "Federal agents have arrested a growing number of the party’s elected officials, fueling liberal outrage and conservative accusations that Democrats are carrying out publicity stunts."

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