Protesters clashed with federal immigration agents during raids on Southern California cannabis farms Thursday afternoon, deploying tear gas.

Dozens of farmworkers were detained at two sites owned by Glass House Farms, a large, state-licensed cannabis greenhouse with locations in the California cities of Carpinteria and Camarillo.
- Footage captured by Rossellini Harris, who was at the scene in Camarillo, shows a young man crying and confirming that his mother was taken. Harris said ICE agents were “tear gassing little kids.” Federal officials accused the facility of employing undocumented, unaccompanied minors.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) reposted the video and had some strong words for President Donald Trump. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott quickly responded:

On Friday, family members returned to the area, where some of their loved ones were reportedly hiding overnight to evade authorities.

By the numbers: An estimated 80% of farmworkers in Ventura County are undocumented. Across the U.S., there are an estimated 320,000 undocumented agriculture and farming workers.

Mo News community members – some in rural areas, some in cities – told us that they’ve heard of migrant workers being too afraid to show up for work, and companies struggling to find labor. That could mean less supply and higher prices for consumers.

At the same time, the Trump administration says (for now) it is going to continue to crack down on businesses that are employing people in the US illegally.

Over on the Mo News Premium Slack community thread (join today!), a member shared this:

FARM LABOR FLIP-FLOP
Trump’s mixed messaging on undocumented farm labor has ignited fierce backlash from his own MAGA base, split between those prioritizing hard-line immigration enforcement and those considering the economic realities of the roughly $1.5 trillion industry. Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer recently called it “the biggest [issue] in MAGA world.” (🎧Stay tuned for our Mo News interview next week with Spicer, where he gets into it!)

In June, Trump vowed to protect undocumented agricultural workers — even temporarily pausing raids at farms. This week, he said there would be no exceptions for farm laborers, “but we are doing a work program.”
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who represents the interests of farmers and agriculture groups, has faced backlash within the MAGA movement over what some are calling amnesty for certain undocumented workers.
- Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk put it bluntly: “We did not run on mass amnesty. We ran on mass deportations.”

As Politico put it: “It’s an unenviable position as the Trump administration weighs how to square its hard-line immigration stance with a basic American need for farm labor — without which everything from fruits and vegetables to meat and milk could become more expensive.”

JUST THE START?
It comes as ICE, under pressure from the Trump administration, arrested the highest number of people in nearly five years last month, with roughly 30,000 migrants taken into custody in June, according to NBC News. But deportations continue to lag, with only about 18,000 carried out in June — creating a growing challenge for housing detainees.

That figure is well below the monthly average of 36,000 in 2013, the peak year for deportations under the Obama administration. Since February, Trump has averaged around 14,700 deportations per month.
- What’s Behind It: Border crossings have plummeted with Trump in office, leading enforcement officials to go after workers within U.S. borders. Deporting people already in the U.S., rather than just crossing the border, requires going through more legal hurdles and delays deportations.

Still, Trump Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller is not satisfied. In a recent call, Miller expressed anger over a drop in arrests during the July Fourth holiday and appeared to threaten repercussions if ICE does not do more. Similarly in May, he told officials they would face “consequences” if they didn’t arrest 3,000 immigrants a day. Now, White House border czar Tom Homan wants to see arrests reach 7,000 per day. It is not clear what the “consequences” will be.

Increased arrests will likely be possible with Trump’s new $170 billion funding boost for immigration enforcement and border security efforts under his recently signed “Big Beautiful Bill.”

That includes $75 billion in extra funding for ICE, whose budget now supersedes the defense budgets of countries like Italy and Israel.

AMERICANS SOFTEN TO UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS
Meanwhile, a new Gallup poll shows Americans’ views on immigration softening: more Americans now favor offering pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the U.S.

And more, a record-high 79% of Americans say legal immigration is good for the country — mostly due to shifts among Republicans. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults now favor deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally, down from about half a year ago.