07/13/2025
The UFW can confirm farm workers were critically injured yesterday during chaotic raids in Ventura County, California. Others, including US citizens remain totally unaccounted for.
Our staff is on the ground supporting families. Many workers, including U.S. citizens, were held by federal authorities at the farm for 8 hours or more. U.S. citizen workers report only being released after they were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones.
The UFW is also aware of reports of child labor on site. The UFW demands the immediate facilitation of independent legal representation for the minor workers, to protect them from further harm. Farm workers are excluded from basic child labor laws and it is unfortunately not uncommon for teenagers to work in the fields. To be clear: detaining and deporting children is not a solution for child labor.
These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families.
There is no city, state or federal district where it is legal to terrorize and detain people for being brown and working in agriculture. These raids must stop immediately.
UPDATE: we tragically can confirm that a farm worker has died of injuries they sustained as a result of yesterday’s immigration enforcement action.
