Oxnard and Ventura Leaders React to Impacts of ICE Raids
Tracy Lehr
OXNARD, Calif. – Local farm owners have urged President Trump to pause ICE raids in their fields following a recent operation near Point Mugu, but workers and elected leaders worry the reprieve won’t last long.
This week, ICE agents targeted workers in an industrial area and held a U.S. citizen overnight.
The incident occurred after Juan Ramirez Diaz began recording video of his father’s arrest. His father is not a U.S. citizen.
Oxnard Mayor Luis McArthur said he spoke with Ramirez Diaz’s wife on Wednesday and learned the family was safe, but they remain concerned for the children’s grandfather, who is still in custody and has not been in contact.
“You know, what it’s doing is creating a lot of trauma in our community,” McArthur said. “I spoke out against the operations of ICE. I spent over 35 years with the Oxnard Police Department, and what we’re seeing—the tactics and methods ICE is using—I think they’re unjust, unwarranted, very harmful, and creating a lot of chaos.”
Before winning his mayoral race, McArthur served as Oxnard’s police chief.
He has defended local law enforcement from criticism by social justice groups accusing officers of being complicit in the raids. He said the police department he once led is not collaborating with the sweeps and is not legally allowed to under California Senate Bill 54.
However, video shared on social media Wednesday showed an unmarked car parking directly in front of the police station.
McArthur said that when a watch commander recently asked ICE agents to leave, they responded that it was a public lot.
Like McArthur, Ventura’s Mayor Pro Tem Doug Halter has been vocal on social media about the recent enforcement actions. He said he’s not convinced ICE will leave farms alone and warned that the raids are already hurting local businesses.
“Some of our more vital streets, like Ventura Avenue, are usually bustling with activity,” Halter said. “It’s pretty quiet now.”
He also said some students and parents skipped graduations out of fear.
“The reality is this—we know the immigrants in our community are deeply intertwined with all of us. Whether people realize it or not, many of them have been here for 20, 30, even 40 years. They’ve been a huge part of our community,” Halter said.
“The threat hanging over everyone’s head is real and life-changing. I just hope it’s not life-ending, because it’s that severe.”
Ventura County’s $2.4 billion agricultural economy relies heavily on strawberries and other top crops.
McArthur said he has advised farmers to put up fences and continue paying their workers—even if they’re afraid to show up—so their operations can survive.
He emphasized that farms have rights, too.
Ventura County Republican Party Treasurer Deborah Baber also weighed in on the situation, including the detention of the U.S. citizen.
“Their concern is misplaced when we’re talking about upwards of 20 million illegal aliens in this country—and that is the official term,” Baber said. “To point out that one person was picked up incorrectly is not even a drop in the bucket, not even a mist.”
“My response is: yes, there are some really fine and decent people who will get hurt. But the whole point of the Trump administration’s approach to ICE and deportation activity is to protect as many people as possible. That’s why they try to carry this out in public places where individuals who are here illegally can be detained safely.”
Baber reiterated her views during the Oxnard City Council meeting this week, despite vocal opposition.
She said she loves all people, but does not want undocumented immigrants taking jobs that she believes others could and would do.
“Their first crime was coming here illegally,” she said.
Meanwhile, businesses are feeling the impact.
Gas stations and market stands that serve undocumented workers have seen fewer customers in recent days, as fear of raids keeps people at home.
Unmarked ICE vehicles have also been spotted at local hotels.
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