President Trump has authorized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to make arrests and use force if federal officers are assaulted during enforcement operations. The directive follows a tense raid at a cannabis farm in Camarillo, California, where protestors pelted ICE vehicles with rocks and bricks, and at least one individual allegedly fired a gun at agents. Approximately 200 undocumented workers were detained during the operation.
A tragic incident occurred when a migrant farmworker fell roughly 30 feet from a greenhouse roof and later died; several others were critically injured. The president described the assailants as “thugs” and “slimeballs” and instructed ICE, Homeland Security, and related agencies to immediately arrest anyone who attacks officers, employing “whatever means is necessary.”This move accompanies the recent deployment of California National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to support enforcement during protests. A federal appeals court is expected to rule in August on the legality of these troop deployments.