President Donald Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan responded to the reported death of a Mexican farmworker following an immigration raid in California, calling the fatality “unfortunate” but defending Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions in the area.
“It’s sad. It’s unfortunate,” Homan told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
“It’s obviously unfortunate when there’s deaths,” he said. “No one wants to see people die.”
Jaime Alanis, 57, died July 12 from injuries sustained the day before, when immigration agents swept through two cannabis farms north of Los Angeles and arrested around 200 people.
According to multiple reports, Alanis climbed to the roof of a greenhouse in alleged attempt to evade officers. He then fell about 30 feet and broke his neck. Alanis died the next day in an area hospital.
In his interview with CNN, Homan defended immigration officials, saying they were “doing their job” at the time of Alanis’ fall.
“He wasn’t in ICE custody,” Homan said. “ICE did not have hands on this person.”
Other workers were critically injured, according to United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero.
The enforcement sparked a chaotic scene at the cannabis farms, the USA TODAY Network in California reported. On the morning of July 10, immigration agents descended on Glass House Farms near Camarillo and in Carpinteria – a greenhouse complex that is one of the state’s largest marijuana farms. They blocked the main road and clashed with protesters until after dark as agents detained farm workers.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement July 11 that, in addition to the arrests of undocumented workers, “law enforcement rescued at least 10 migrant children from what looks like exploitation, forced child labor and potentially human trafficking or smuggling.”
Trump’s immigration crackdown, a centerpiece of his reelection bid, has led to an increase in raids.
Contributing: Isaiah Murtaugh and Cheri Carlson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Homan responds to California farmworker death, ICE sweeps
