ICE employee injured by rock at riot after alleged doxxing in California; DHS blames lawmakers, Carbajal denies accusations.

ICE Agent Injured During Violent Protest at California Farm

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employee was taken to the emergency room for stitches after being injured in a riot at a California marijuana farm in Carpinteria. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleges that the employee was doxxed by Representative Salud Carbajal, who allegedly displayed the agent’s business card to protesters during a federal immigration raid. The incident escalated when a rock was thrown at the ICE Public Affairs specialist, causing his hand to bleed, as documented in photos released by DHS.

DHS officials condemned the incident as an attack fueled by lawmakers’ rhetoric, with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin calling Rep. Carbajal’s actions “downright un-American.” McLaughlin stated, “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.” She further noted that ICE agents have experienced a 700% increase in assaults amid encouragement from certain members of Congress.

Lawmakers and DHS Clash Over Protest and Use of Force

The chaotic events unfolded during an ICE-led criminal search warrant operation that resulted in 361 arrests for immigration violations and the rescue of 14 migrant children potentially subjected to trafficking, forced labor, and exploitation. DHS indicated that a federal child labor investigation remains ongoing. The department estimated that approximately 500 protesters were present, contributing to recent unrest surrounding immigration enforcement operations in California.

Rep. Salud Carbajal denied the allegations of doxxing and incitement, posting on social media that “this is a blatant attempt to distort what occurred in Carpinteria.” Carbajal criticized DHS and ICE for employing “disturbing and disproportionate” force during the raid and against protesters. He described seeing ICE agents in military gear firing smoke canisters and projectiles into crowds of civilians and cited reports of a stun grenade being deployed before his arrival. Carbajal insisted that his presence was meant to seek answers and represent concerned constituents.

“ICE’s claims of ‘doxxing’ and ‘violent mobs’ are familiar deflection tactics designed to distort public perception and to evade accountability for their aggressive actions in our community,” Carbajal wrote.

The company operating the farm, Glass House Farms, maintained it has never knowingly violated hiring laws or employed minors. Federal records show that two company leaders, Kyle Kazan and Graham Farrar, have donated to Carbajal’s campaigns in recent years.

As investigations into the events and the alleged child labor violations continue, the incident highlights escalating tensions between federal immigration authorities and local communities in California. The political dispute over law enforcement accountability, congressional oversight, and the limits of protest is likely to fuel further debate as federal agencies and lawmakers defend their actions in the aftermath of the raid.