(CAMARILLO) California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned sweeping federal raids on licensed cannabis sites in Camarillo and Carpinteria, saying the operations missed the real threat from Cartels and foreign-backed illegal grows and instead put workers and the legal market at risk.
On July 10, 2025, teams from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations detained more than 360 people, including at least 14 minors and several U.S. citizens, at Glass House Farms and related sites, according to state and federal officials and company statements. The raids were launched over allegations of child labor, human trafficking, and immigration violations and were conducted without coordination with state or local agencies.
Governor’s response and calls for coordination
Newsom said the federal approach undercuts California’s regulated system and called for enforcement that targets criminal networks—especially Chinese-backed grow operations and Cartels—rather than licensed businesses and vulnerable workers.
He urged joint planning among state, local, and federal partners to focus on:
– trafficking rings
– labor contractors tied to abuse
– environmental crimes linked to illicit cannabis sites
“We should be hunting criminal organizations, not traumatizing lawful workers,” the governor argued, pressing for intelligence-driven cases that dismantle networks instead of headline-grabbing raids.
Federal officials’ stance and initial findings
Federal officials defended their actions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said agents acted on evidence of child trafficking and criminal activity at the farms. Officials reported “rescuing” 14 migrant children, with 10 transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services for care pending immigration proceedings.
- No federal trafficking charges have been announced so far.
- The Department of Cannabis Control said it had opened an investigation into Glass House Farms earlier this year after a complaint about possible child labor.
- A May inspection found no violations, but a later complaint led to an ongoing probe.
- Glass House Farms denied employing minors and said the detained children were not company employees.
Human cost and workplace impacts
The raids turned deadly when a worker fell from a greenhouse roof while trying to flee, according to the company and labor advocates. Several others were injured or left shaken. Glass House Farms brought in grief counselors for staff and pledged cooperation with investigators.
Worker advocates emphasized the human toll:
– The death highlights the fear such operations cause in immigrant communities.
– Many worry that any contact with agents could result in detention or deportation.
– The raids chilled hiring and pushed some workers out of cannabis jobs.
State enforcement efforts against illegal grows
Newsom’s remarks came after a year of record state enforcement against illegal grows. In May, California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force—working across 15 agencies—reported large seizures:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Illicit cannabis value seized | $123.5 million |
| Plants seized | 105,700 |
| Processed product seized | 22,057 pounds |
| Search warrants served | 71 |
| Firearms confiscated | 9 |
| Sites with banned pesticides/hazardous chemicals | 8 |
Those operations were conducted across Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties. State officials—including Nicole Elliott (Department of Cannabis Control) and Charlton H. Bonham (Department of Fish and Wildlife)—say coordinated efforts protect licensed businesses, workers, and fragile ecosystems from toxic chemicals, water theft, and habitat damage tied to illegal grows.
Analysis: federal posture and industry risk
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the July 10 actions signal a tougher federal posture toward cannabis businesses that employ immigrant labor, even when those companies are licensed under state law. The report notes increasing risks for the legal sector:
– Surprise inspections
– Immigration holds
– Wider probes into contractors and payroll practices
Labor groups have responded by stepping up “know your rights” trainings and offering legal support for farm and greenhouse workers.
State–Federal clash over enforcement priorities
Newsom argues the raids show how federal enforcement can undercut California’s regulatory system and market integrity by blurring the line between licensed and illegal operations. He wants deeper coordination that targets organized crime—Cartels, human traffickers, and Chinese-backed networks—believed to have infiltrated some illegal grow sites and labor pipelines.
State agencies emphasize that their large, planned cases deliver better outcomes:
– They track supplier networks
– Seize weapons
– Pull banned pesticides
– Refer environmental crimes for prosecution
Federal authorities prioritize immigration and trafficking violations and are operating within federal law, which still bans marijuana nationwide. That legal gap continues to pit state oversight against federal enforcement. Because cannabis remains a Schedule I substance at the federal level, raids like those in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties may continue—especially when agencies believe minors or coerced labor are involved.
The Department of Cannabis Control and state partners say they will continue multi-agency cases aimed at illicit grows that pollute waterways, destroy habitats, and siphon customers from the legal market. They argue focusing on unlicensed sites—rather than licensed operators—protects communities while ensuring the legal market can compete.
Impact on workers and the legal market
The fallout from the July 10 raids has rippled through the cannabis workforce. Legal aid groups and the United Farm Workers are warning non-citizens—including those with legal status—that jobs in cannabis may carry extra federal risk.
Worker concerns:
– Fear of detentions that separate families
– Loss of income and prolonged court processes
– Use of third-party labor contractors that shield companies and leave workers exposed
Industry advocates say abrupt raids with limited coordination and transparency:
– Scare workers
– Fail to dismantle criminal networks behind trafficking and illegal grows
– Hurt the reputation and operations of licensed businesses
Employers are being advised to implement risk controls:
1. Tighten hiring and oversight of staffing contractors
2. Maintain clear records and written protocols for raids
3. Designate a point person for law enforcement contact
4. Train supervisors on warrant verification
5. Offer workers access to legal hotlines
Although cannabis is legal in California, employers must plan for federal audits and interviews—especially in mixed-status workplaces.
Environmental, consumer, and market consequences
State investigators continue to recover banned pesticides and chemicals at illicit sites. The Department of Fish and Wildlife links these practices to:
– poisoned wildlife
– contaminated soil
– unsafe products entering the market
These harms make it vital, state officials say, to pursue Cartels and foreign-backed operators that exploit migrant labor and cut corners.
For consumers, the conflict raises questions about:
– product safety
– supply stability
Advocates argue licensed brands that follow testing and environmental rules should not be lumped with criminal sites. But when federal agents sweep greenhouses with little public information on findings, the public can struggle to tell the difference. That confusion can erode trust, distort prices, and give illegal suppliers an opening.
Typical raid sequence (based on briefings and reports)
Operations like the July 10 actions typically move through six steps:
- Intelligence gathering on labor abuse, environmental crimes, or criminal ties
- Search warrants served across multiple properties
- Detention and field interviews; minors moved to child-welfare agencies
- Evidence collection, including plants, processed product, firearms, and hazardous samples
- Prosecution by local district attorneys
- Post-raid support, with companies and advocates helping affected workers
California’s task force stresses careful case-building before action. Critics say federal raids too often land on licensed facilities while the networks behind trafficking slip away.
Community response and next steps
Immigrant communities are watching closely. Legal advocates say the July 10 death and detentions have chilled hiring and prompted families to seek advice on what to do if agents arrive at a home or workplace.
Industry responses include:
– Expectation of more compliance audits and contractor reviews
– Shift toward in-house hiring to reduce reliance on labor contractors
– Increased translated trainings, on-site worker liaisons, and safety drills tied to potential law enforcement actions
State regulators reiterate their goals: protect legal operators, workers, and the environment; close illegal sites; and hold bad actors accountable. Federal officials say they will keep pursuing trafficking and immigration crimes wherever evidence leads.
The central question remains whether state and federal authorities can align tactics so the next major enforcement action targets Cartels and foreign-backed networks—not licensed workers on a greenhouse line.
For official background on federal enforcement roles and responsibilities, see Homeland Security Investigations.
This Article in a Nutshell
Federal raids on July 10, 2025, at Glass House Farms in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties detained over 360 people, including at least 14 minors, amid allegations of child labor, human trafficking and immigration violations. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the operations for targeting licensed businesses without coordination and urged intelligence-driven, joint efforts to focus on cartels and foreign-backed illegal grows. State enforcement has simultaneously stepped up: a May multiagency operation seized $123.5 million in illicit cannabis, 105,700 plants and served 71 warrants. The raids had severe human impacts, including a worker’s death while fleeing, injuries and widespread fear among immigrant workers. Analysts say federal tactics increase risks for licensed operators employing migrant labor; labor groups expanded know-your-rights trainings. The core tension remains between federal laws that ban marijuana and California’s regulatory approach, with calls for better state-federal coordination to prioritize dismantling organized criminal networks while protecting workers, consumers and the legal market.
