ICE accuses Democratic congressman of joining 'violent mob,' doxxing agent

Federal law enforcement officers executed immigration raids on Thursday at a pair of state-licensed marijuana facilities operated in Camarillo and Carpinteria, California, by Glass House Farms — a company run by a donor both to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and to Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.).

Among the 361 illegal aliens arrested at the two sites were a number of dangerous criminal noncitizens, including Roman Izquierdo, a Mexican convicted of kidnapping, attempted rape, and attempted child molestation; Juan Duarte-Valasquez, a Mexican convicted of rape and DUI; and Jose Orellana, an illegal alien from El Salvador convicted of DUI and a hit-and-run with property damage.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, agents rescued at least 14 migrant children during the raids from "potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking."

While saving children and capturing foreign rapists, federal agents were savagely attacked by a mob of radicals who learned of the raids and apparently sought to obstruct the immigration enforcement actions. Among those who came out in opposition of law enforcement was Carbajal.

In addition to faulting Carbajal for apparently joining the ranks of the rioters, the DHS has accused the Democratic congressman of doxxing an ICE employee who was later injured by the mob.

"During the enforcement operation in Carpinteria, California, Rep. Carbajal spoke to an ICE Public Affairs Specialist, who gave the congressman his business card," the DHS said in a statement. "The congressman then showed the ICE employee's business card to the mob, making a target out of him. The employee was subsequently attacked, with lacerations to his left hand due to a rock being thrown at him. The employee had to go to the emergency room and get stitches for his injury."

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Department of Homeland Security

Carbajal later characterized the riot at the marijuana facility — which prompted the use of tear gas and smoke bombs by federal authorities — as "peaceful" protests and claimed that the federal agents attacked by the mob "were creating fear, anxiety, and intimidation" and "an untenable incendiary circumstance where they could have got members of the public and themselves hurt."

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In an interview with the Santa Barbara Independent, Carbajal once again named the ICE agent he spoke to, admitted to repeatedly trying to break through the ICE perimeter, and accused ICE of "violating the rights of U.S. citizens," adding, "If you're brown, you're going to have your civil rights violated."

'No one is above the law, and members of Congress are no exception.'

Carbajal stressed that "we need people to protest."

ICE blasted the Democratic congressman for downplaying the violence of the rioters and painting federal officers as villains, stating, "THIS is precisely the rhetoric that has led to orchestrated attempts to murder officers and a 700% increase in officer assaults."

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Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

"May the congressman's constituency always remember he chooses violence over the rule of law," added ICE.

"The actions by Representative Carbajal are downright un-American," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "He dares to claim that his actions were simply congressional oversight, but doxxing ICE personnel and inciting a mob of rioters to attack law enforcement is NOT oversight — it's abominable."

Carbajal stated on Monday, "ICE's claims of 'doxxing' and 'violent mobs' are attempts to deflect attention from their unjust tactics, distort the facts to support misleading narratives, and avoid accountability for their aggressive actions that caused injuries and left our community traumatized."

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated that the Department of Justice takes all allegations of inciting violence and doxxing of federal employees seriously, underscoring that "no one is above the law, and members of Congress are no exception."

"We are reviewing reports from the protest," said Blanche. "If substantiated, we will pursue every appropriate legal avenue to protect our law enforcement officers and uphold the rule of law."

Blaze News has reached out to the DHS and to Carbajal for additional comment.

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