ICE Rescues Exploited Children from California Pot Farm—Mayor Karen Bass Rushes to Shield More Illegals
Just hours after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents rescued a group of illegal migrant children from a California marijuana farm, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass responded — not by applauding the rescue — but by strengthening city policies designed to block ICE from saving others.
On Friday, Bass signed an executive directive reinforcing Los Angeles’ status as a sanctuary city, ordering local officials and police departments to stand down and refuse cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The directive came the same day that ICE, working alongside Customs and Border Protection (CBP), conducted a raid in Camarillo, California, which uncovered a disturbing case of child exploitation involving illegal migrant minors.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, 10 illegal migrant children — eight of whom were unaccompanied — were rescued from the facility, which is now under investigation for violating child labor laws and possibly engaging in human trafficking and smuggling.
“At the California marijuana facility, ICE and CBP law enforcement rescued 8 unaccompanied migrant children from what looks like exploitation, violation of child labor laws and potentially human trafficking or smuggling,” a DHS spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Despite the severity of the case, Bass moved quickly to tie the hands of law enforcement. Her directive prohibits the use of city resources in any immigration enforcement and initiates additional “training and protocols” designed to obstruct ICE operations. It also demands access to federal records about those detained in raids — a move critics argue is more about protecting illegal aliens than seeking justice for exploited minors.
In a public statement, Bass made clear where her allegiance lies:
“We are a proud city of immigrants, and with the Trump Administration signaling that they will ratchet up their chaotic approach, I’m making sure we deploy every resource and tool available within the City to ensure that we are supporting immigrant communities,” she declared.
“I will never accept these unlawful and chaotic raids and will continue to do all that I can to defend the rights of the people of Los Angeles,” Bass added.
The marijuana operation is now the focus of a federal child labor probe, as confirmed by CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott.
This clash is only the latest in a long history of defiance from Bass and the Los Angeles City Council, who have waged a legal and political war against President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure the border and dismantle illegal networks inside the United States.
Shortly after President Trump secured his second term, the City Council moved to codify sanctuary protections into law, effectively turning Los Angeles into a haven for those breaking federal immigration law. President Trump’s administration has since sued the city, arguing that its policies obstruct ICE and violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The contrast could not be clearer: While the Trump administration rescues trafficked children and enforces the law, Los Angeles officials are more interested in preserving political theater than protecting the vulnerable.