A cannabis farmer died Saturday after being seriously injured during a chaotic immigration attack by federal authorities in Southern California, his family said.
Jaime Alanis Garcia’s death comes days after a federal immigration official raid at Glasshouse Farm in Camarillo, California, a city about 50 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Garcia’s family told NBC Los Angeles that he had broken his neck and skull in the fall and was placed on life support shortly afterwards.
“His wife and parents decided to give him a break today. He has passed away,” his nie said in a statement Saturday.
His family confirmed to NBC Los Angeles that Garcia had not survived for the past few days.
Neither United Farm Workers nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately returned a request for comment.
Immigration officials said in a statement Friday that Garcia did not have federal custody when he collapsed.
“He wasn’t being chased by law enforcement, but the individual climbed onto the roof of a greenhouse and collapsed 30 feet,” said Homeland Security Director Tricia McLaughlin. “CBP immediately invited Mediback to the scene and cared as soon as possible.”
The raid attracted hundreds of demonstrators, some of whom threw rocks and bricks at cars belonging to federal agents. In response, federal agents deployed non-fatal weapons and tear gas to protesters, and employees had been arrested within cannabis growers.
President Donald Trump added in the Social Post of Truth on Friday night that he saw the protest “distrust” and that immigration officials should use “necessary measures” to arrest people who do not follow the law.
The cannabis farm where Garcia worked was one of two glasshouse properties that federal officials attacked on Thursday. According to DHS, about 200 people were arrested in two operations.
The raid comes more than a month after protests against a similar operation in Los Angeles effectively shut down parts of the city and attracted the country’s attention.
In response, Trump took the rare step of deploying the National Guard to suppress the protesters.
On Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, signed an order that required urban areas to have a preparatory plan detailing how employees, including contractors, would respond if approached by federal immigration authorities.
Bill Feather contributed.
