Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Oxnard’s City Hall on Tuesday to protest immigration raids in local agricultural fields and packing facilities.
Agricultural workers in Ventura County were subjected to an immigration raid by federal agents Tuesday morning, prompting protesters to rally peacefully outside the government building. Chanting and holding signs in support of those who were detained, the demonstrators called for the release of the detainees.
Stream Los Angeles News for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
WATCH HERE“We are angry because ICE does not belong in Oxnard. ICE does not belong in Ventura County,” one protester said.
Videos posted to social media show ICE agents at farm fields and packing facilities in Ventura County. According to the Farm Bureau of Ventura County – which represents the farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses – dozens of immigrant workers were detained Tuesday morning.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning with NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP VC Defensa, a coalition of advocacy groups dedicated to protecting immigrants in Ventura County, demanded an end to the raids. It accused the agents of racial profiling and using intimidation to enter private property without judicial authorization.
“It’s really important for our immigrant community to see us out here,” VC Defensa attorney Vanessa Valdez said. “They are scared, they’re stressed out, they are being separated. Our children are being terrorized and traumatized.”
United Farm Workers, a labor union that represents farm workers in the U.S., said it was aware of enforcement actions targeting farm workers in Ventura, Kern and Tulare Counties.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
“We urge all agricultural employers to act immediately to protect their employees at their worksites, including taking practical steps to ‘harden’ their worksites,” United Farm Workers said in a statement. “Employers should train all staff to understand their rights and the requirements needed to enter the property, such as a signed judicial warrant.”
It’s unclear how many undocumented individuals were arrested in total on Tuesday.
