Immigration and Customs Enforcement faced off with dozens of protesters at a marijuana farm in California‘s Ventura County while conducting a raid that allegedly found illegal immigrant children being put to work against the law.

Authorities at the scene deployed tear gas at the crowd to quell the unrest. Paramedics later showed up to treat protesters who had been injured. The clash continued to escalate into the afternoon, with military trucks arriving to assist.

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KTLA’s helicopter showed images of dozens of people detained, but it wasn’t clear if they were illegal immigrants caught in the raid or protesters. Ventura County District 5 Supervisor Vianey Lopez called the incident an “unfortunate situation.”

“What is happening is that there are hundreds of people on site, potentially undocumented individuals who are being questioned and interrogated,” Lopez said. “At this point, we don’t know how many people have been detained.”

Lopez said she had received reports of two vans, each carrying about 15 people, leaving the location.

“It is an ongoing situation that is very concerning for the safety of those showing up with anger and disappointment at what is happening to hard-working people in our community,” Lopez added.

Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) tried to enter the area that was cordoned off by federal agents, but was denied access, news station KEYT showed. He later said he was denied access despite his right to conduct oversight and added he would be demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security.

Some Democrats, like Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), faced ridicule for suggesting that the administration isn’t targeting criminals, but “immigrant farm workers who feed America” — despite the operation being located at a marijuana farm where illegal immigrant children were allegedly being put to work.

“How many MS-13 gang members are waking up at 3 a.m. to pick strawberries? O’yeah, zero! Trump said he’d go after ‘bad hombres,’ but he’s targeting the immigrant farm workers who feed America. Either he lied — or he can’t tell the difference,” Gomez posted on X.

Gomez saw considerable heat from high-profile Republicans for his post.

Vice President JD Vance posted on X, “Democrats are having a fit because we’re enforcing our laws against people working at a weed farm.”

Trump administration spokesperson Steven Cheung added, “Jimmy Gomez must be getting high off that Strawberry Kush because this is a weed farm found to have exploited juveniles here illegally.”

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kiersten Pels told the Washington Examiner that Gomez “brazenly invented a story that the illegal migrants were simply picking ‘strawberries.'”

“Why are he and his Democrat colleagues willing to go to such lengths to defend illegal child labor in California?” she added.

The aftermath of the operation also saw Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) criticize President Donald Trump for the operation, before multiple Trump administration officials lit him up for acknowledging children present at the farm.

“Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields. Trump calls me ‘Newscum’ — but he’s the real scum,” Newsom posted on X.

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The Department of Homeland Security responded with a short post on X.

“Why are there children working at a marijuana facility, Gavin?” DHS wrote.