The Department of Homeland Security announced on Sunday night the arrest of over 350 illegal immigrants and the rescuing of 14 illegal immigrant children following raids on two California marijuana farms.
Late last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officers conducted raids at a marijuana farm in Camarillo, California, and another in Carpinteria. The raids saw immediate backlash from Democrats, who claimed the raids targeted farm workers, which the Trump administration disputed.
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In a new DHS update on the raids, the total of illegal immigrants arrested rose to 361, with the agency saying some have criminal convictions for rape, serial burglary, hit and run, and DUIs. The number of children found at these facilities, 14, remained unchanged from a Friday update.
“This is quickly becoming one of the largest operations since President Trump took office, and we’re only getting started,” the DHS statement added.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin touted the new totals in a Fox News appearance on Sunday night, pointing out the “heinous rap sheets” of the illegal immigrants who were arrested.
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“We also apprehended 361 illegal aliens with heinous rap sheets that include kidnapping, child molestation, rape, serial burglary, hit and runs. These are not people who should be in our communities illegally, much less around innocent children,” McLaughlin said.
DHS has said it had criminal search warrants for the two farms, which they raided over concerns of possible exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking involving migrant child workers.