Jaime Alanís Obituary, Death: Farm worker dies from injuries after California raid.
Jaime Alanís Obituary, Death – A farm worker has died from injuries sustained while trying to escape during a federal immigration raid at a cannabis farm in Ventura County, California, according to his family. The United Farm Workers (UFW) confirmed the death in a statement posted on social media on Friday, describing it as a tragedy stemming from Thursday’s immigration enforcement operation.
The deceased has been identified as Jaime Alanís. His family reported that he fell approximately 30 feet from a structure on the property while attempting to hide. He was hospitalized with a severe brain injury and placed on life support. His niece, who wished to remain anonymous, told KTLA that Alanís had been communicating with the family via text until shortly before his fall. “He was hiding, and then suddenly he stopped responding. We feared something had happened,” she said. Despite the family’s hopes for his recovery, they eventually made the difficult decision to withdraw life support.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to the incident by clarifying that Alanís was not in their custody at the time and was not being actively chased. Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at DHS, stated that Alanís climbed onto the roof of a greenhouse on his own and fell. After the fall, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel immediately called for a medivac to transport him to receive medical treatment as quickly as possible.
The raid that led to Alanís’ fatal injury took place at the Glass House cannabis farm and another location in Carpinteria. DHS officials described it as the largest single-day immigration operation in California history. Roughly 200 undocumented individuals were arrested during the raids, and at least 10 migrant children were reportedly “rescued” from the sites.
The operation sparked significant backlash. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the site in Camarillo, where the raid was underway. Demonstrators blocked roadways and clashed with law enforcement, some throwing objects at officers. In response, law enforcement deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd. A live news broadcast captured one individual appearing to fire a gun at officers during the chaos. The FBI is now offering a \$50,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of that suspect.
Medical personnel arrived at the scene to set up a triage zone for people affected by tear gas exposure, helping those injured while maintaining a safe distance from the law enforcement activity.
The United Farm Workers organization issued a follow-up statement on Friday, expressing concern over the aggressive nature of the operation. They reported that other workers had suffered serious injuries during the chaotic events and stated that several individuals, including U.S. citizens, were still unaccounted for in the aftermath of the raids.
The incident has raised questions about the conduct and consequences of large-scale immigration enforcement actions, particularly in agricultural settings where many workers may be undocumented. Investigations into the circumstances of Alanís’ death and the overall raid continue.
