ICE Raids Leave Families In the Cold
From Carpinteria to Camarillo,
Loved Ones Are Desperate for Help
By Tyler Hayden | July 16, 2025
Read more from
Smoke and Mirrors: Fallout from Federal Raids at Glass House Farms.
In a little more than 48 hours, Sandra Hernandez went from working at Glass House Farms in Carpinteria ― where she had lived for 23 years, helping raise her niece and nephews ― to being shackled by her hands, feet, and waist, driven to a detention facility in Los Angeles, and then deported to Tijuana, Mexico. “It all just happened so fast,” said Hernandez’s niece, Cyntia Cisneros.
So fast, Cisneros said, that when ICE agents descended on the cannabis farm and started loading employees into vans, they didn’t allow them to take any belongings, including their phones, purses, or medications. Hernandez is diabetic and suffers from a liver condition that requires regular hospital visits. When she tried telling the agents she needed access to her medicine, they either ignored her or responded, “No Español,” Cisneros said.
Hernandez, 38, is now staying at a hostel in Tijuana with other Glass House workers from Carpinteria. The Mexican government has provided them each 2,000 pesos (approximately $100) for food and other necessities. So far, Hernandez remains in good health, but Cisneros worries about her in the days and weeks ahead. “We’re all really concerned,” she said. Cisneros has started a GoFundMe to help Hernandez pay for replacement medication, female hygiene products, and clothing.
Cisneros is also angered that her aunt’s deportation seemingly took place with no due process. Hernandez was reportedly told by federal officials during her brief detention in Los Angeles that if she wished to challenge her pending removal, she would remain in jail for up to five years. They told her if she signed a document, they would release her right away. “She got very scared and signed immediately,” Cisneros said. She was not provided an attorney.
Cisneros said Hernandez immigrated from Guanajuato, Mexico, in 2002. Yes, she crossed the border illegally, Cisneros acknowledged, but has since led a law-abiding life. “She’s a soft-spoken, reserved, and really caring person,” Cisneros said. “She’s never hurt anyone and dedicated almost her whole life to working in this country.” Federal and local court records show no prior or pending criminal charges against Hernandez.
“She’s technically my aunt, but she’s really my big sister,” Cisneros continued. Growing up, she remembers Hernandez encouraging her and her brothers to go to college and find fulfilling jobs. Cisneros is a recent graduate of Santa Barbara City College and now works as a registered dental assistant for Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. Her younger brother is currently enrolled at CSU Northridge and studying kinesiology. “What happened to her is not just unfair but heartbreaking,” Cisneros said.
Viviana Montoya was also arrested in last week’s ICE operation in Carpinteria, said her sister-in-law, Karla Zarate, in a GoFundMe post. Montoya is being held in Los Angeles and is still trying to fight her deportation, Zarate said. “We are trying to raise money to pay for attorney’s expenses and bail,” she said. “I thank those who can support us. We just want her to leave as soon as possible and be safe with the rest of our family.”
As more and more families attempt to rally community support for their loved ones, Carpinteria Children’s Project (CCP) has become a central hub for local donations. CCP announced Tuesday a new Helping Hands Fund that will be “100 percent dedicated to assisting families who have had members apprehended or who are unable to earn wages or otherwise provide basic needs for their households due to fear and intimidation,” the organization said. Their immediate goal is to raise $100,000 that will be earmarked for food, clothing, housing assistance, and mental health services.
While Hernandez and Montoya did not leave any young children behind, other families have been left scrambling to care for kids whose parents were taken. CCP is also partnering with Girls Inc. of Carpinteria and Carpinteria Boys and Girls Club. The City of Carpinteria has made $10,000 in aid available, but the identified need is much greater, officials have acknowledged.
“Carpinteria families are hurting,” said CCP Executive Director Teresa Alvarez. “We have witnessed inhumane treatment in our community that leaves children without caretakers and responsibly employed residents unable to support their families.”
“We have heard calls to action and are the organization that is best prepared to make a difference quickly in Carpinteria,” said CCP Board President Michelle Perry. “With the help of donors, we hope to begin to restore the peace that has been stolen from so many families.”
Among those seeking relief just down the coast is Marco Vasquez, whose mother was arrested during the ICE operation in Camarillo and quickly deported. “I would never wish this on anyone,” he said in a statement posted on GoFundMe. “Breaking families apart is the worst thing that can happen to someone.” Vasquez said he’d hoped his sister’s active military service would help their mother’s case, but it didn’t. “Serving the U.S. didn’t help us in any way when it came to deportation,” he said.
Juve Lima was also arrested in Camarillo. He attempted to hide but was forced out with tear gas and reportedly tased. A family friend, Julie Quintero, said his family has lost their sole provider. “Juve leaves behind two young children who are too little to understand why their father is no longer by their side,” she said. “He was a devoted, loving, and gentle father, the kind who never missed a moment to hold his babies close. His absence is heartbreaking.”
“We are devastated, but we remain hopeful,” Quintero went on. “We pray for a future where families no longer live in fear of being torn apart. We send strength to every family still searching for their loved one, and we thank every single person who has stood up and spoken out.”
Jasmine Cruz of Oxnard said her family is “in pieces” since her father’s removal. “My mom is doing her best, but it’s just the two of us trying to hold everything together while caring for my four younger siblings,” she said. “The emotional and financial toll is heavy, and we’re struggling. We never imagined something like this would happen to our family.”
Mari Vale described her mother, an Oxnard resident, as “not just the heart of our home — she is our everything.” She works hard, loves deeply, and holds the family together with her strength, warmth, and faith, Vale said. “Now, we are facing one of the hardest times of our lives. We are scared, overwhelmed, and hurting. But we’re not giving up. Thank you for standing with us.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.