USA: Farmworkers on California farms were victims of ICE raids

Published at: 12/06/2025 10:55 AM

Farmworkers on farms in California, United States (USA), warned of raids carried out by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, who began to deploy in crop fields and packing machines located between the Central Coast and the San Joaquin Valley.

“Today we are seeing an increase in the chaotic presence of immigration agents, particularly the Border Patrol,” said Elizabeth Strater, Vice President of the Farmers Union. For their part, Department of Homeland Security officials refused to confirm specific locations, but stated that raids were carried out in the southern region of the state.

At least one farm worker was arrested, following a manhunt carried out by at least one foot agent and a Border Patrol vehicle. Meanwhile, near Richgrove, migratory agents mobilized to a field where farmers collected blueberries, which motivated some of them to flee; likewise, in the vicinity of Kingsburg, farmers reported the presence of Border Patrol agents.

In Oxnard, immigration authorities reported entering a packing plant at Boskovich Farms, in addition to the refusal of multiple farms in the town to allow access to ICE employees.

Strater did not provide details about the number of people arrested in the raids, but said that workers expressed fear. At least half of the approximately 255,700 farmers in California are irregular migrants, according to research from the University of California Merced.

Mazo News Team