'We're just destroyed': Family of farmworker who died during Ventura County ICE raid speaks out

OXNARD, Calif. - The family of Jaime Alanís is demanding answers following his death during an immigration raid at a cannabis farm in Ventura County.  

During the July 10 raid at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, Alanís allegedly fell off a roof while fleeing from agents. He suffered a broken neck, fractured skull and a rupture in an artery that pumps blood to the brain. He was taken off life support the next day. 

Attorneys for the family have filed a Federal Tort Claim against the federal government detailing the allegations of what they believe the U.S. Government did wrong during the raid. Attorneys said it was an illegal search and seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment. 

"In the Federal Tort Claim Act, we have to wait six months for the government to decide, are they going to provide information? Are they going be able to give this family finally some peace to understand what exactly happened that day? If anybody knows me, I'm big on saying, show us the receipts, not just the tweets. We ask the U.S. Government… there was a warrant that was issued, so they say. Any warrant is unsealed after being executed. Show us the warrant. There's body cams, show us the video. There are cameras at Glasshouse, show us. We find it very curious that all of the workers were called there that day, whether they were supposed to be there or not, and suddenly this raid happened. They claim that they were there for child labor exploitation, show us," stated attorney Robert Simon. 

He added that all the family wants to know is what exactly happened that day on the farm. They want answers from Glass House, the staffing agency and from the federal government. 

What they're saying:

"He expected this to be like any other day. He showed up to work. He expected that he was going to be able to perform his job and go home to his family. And he never had that opportunity," said attorney Robbie Munoz with The Simon Law Group. 

"The family is destroyed, it was something very hard that happened to the family and we just want answers, we're just destroyed," Juan Duran, Jaime's brother-in-law, said through a translator. 

The backstory:

On July 10, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents executed a search warrant at Glass House's farms in Camarillo and Carpinteria. 

At the Camarillo site, protesters and agents clashed for hours. As tensions grew high, the incident eventually turned violent as tear gas and smoke bombs were thrown into the crowd multiple times. One demonstrator threw a gas canister back at Border Patrol officers, according to the agent. Another demonstrator appeared to fire a gun.

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• ICE agents, protesters clash during raid at Ventura County cannabis farm

According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 360 people were arrested, most suspected of being in the U.S. without legal status. 

During the raid, Alanís allegedly fell 30 feet off a roof while fleeing from agents. The next day, his family confirmed to FOX 11 that they had taken him off of life support.

According to the Associated Press, Alanís worked as a farmer, picking tomatoes, for 10 years. His relatives said he called his wife in Mexico during the raid to tell her immigration agents had arrived and that he was hiding with others inside the farm.

What's next:

After filing a Federal Tort Claim, the government has up to six months to respond before attorneys can file a lawsuit.