How Much Slavery Is in Cali? GOP Probe Aims to Find Out After ICE Raid Uncovers Child Labor Abuse |

Republican leaders in the House have launched an investigation into a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at two cannabis farms in California, where federal agents uncovered unaccompanied minors laboring on-site.

The joint operation conducted earlier this month by ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers targeted two marijuana cultivation facilities.

Initially, California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the federal government for the raid. However, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott informed him of a shocking revelation: ten juveniles were found, eight of whom were unaccompanied.

Here’s some breaking news: 10 juveniles were found at this marijuana facility – all illegal aliens, 8 of them unaccompanied. It’s now under investigation for child labor violations.

This is Newsom’s California. https://t.co/Z1XoRMtBSN

— CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott (@CBPCommissioner) July 11, 2025

The Daily Caller News Foundation first reported on letters from House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, directed to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services regarding a congressional inquiry into these troubling findings.

In his correspondence, Jordan emphasized, “The discovery of these juveniles at a marijuana facility, alongside at least one previously convicted child molester, underscores the ongoing fallout from the Biden-Harris Administration’s open-border policies.” He was supported by Rep. Tom McClintock, a fellow Republican from California, who chairs the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. Both legislators attributed such negligence to failures within the Biden administration.

“The presence of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) at a California marijuana farm raises significant concerns regarding the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) placement protocols—especially during the Biden-Harris Administration—and the adequacy of sponsor vetting,” they noted. “As per the House Rules, the Committee on the Judiciary is empowered to oversee federal immigration policies and procedures.”

The Judiciary Committee is seeking additional information from DHS and HHS concerning the minors’ current placements, their case histories, family backgrounds, and other pertinent details, with a deadline for response set for August 7, according to the DNCF.

To complicate matters further, the president of Glass House of Farms, the entity that operates the raided cannabis sites, has a history of making substantial donations to Democrats.

Graham Farrar has previously contributed to the Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee’s federal PAC and to California Democratic Representative Salud Carbajal. Notably, he also donated $10,000 to Newsom in 2018, as reported by the New York Post.

The company has asserted that it “never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors.” But if that’s the case, one must wonder what the children were doing at the facility?

Democrats often criticize the federal government’s approach to illegal immigration. Yet, paradoxically, they also pose questions like, “Who will clean your toilets? Who will work in America’s hotels and farms?”

In a profanity-laden interview released on Monday, Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Am I going to be like all these Democrats say, ‘You have to talk about and realize that people are really upset about illegal immigration?’ F*** you. How do you think your hotel room gets cleaned?”

He continued, “How do you think you got food on your f***ing table? Who do you think washes your dishes? Who do you think does your f***ing garden?”

Is this what leftists perceive when they think of illegal immigrants? Merely a labor force for menial jobs and a consistent voting bloc?

They cannot claim to be compassionate while viewing undocumented immigrants solely as a means to an end. Additionally, they cannot maintain a moral high ground on immigration while ignoring the issues of child labor.

Republican lawmakers need to keep this story in the public eye.

Such revelations not only expose the hypocrisy of the left but also illustrate the dangers that unaccompanied minors face when they enter the United States.

In a climate that encourages millions to cross the border without proper vetting, children risk becoming victims of human trafficking, physical harm, and sexual exploitation—the potential consequences are staggering.

Only through thorough investigation and demanding accountability can the nation confront the darker realities of illegal immigration.

Organized crime, including cartels and other illicit actors, exploit vulnerable immigrants, subjecting them to conditions akin to slavery. Is this truly preferable to pursuing lawful entry and obtaining legal residency?

It is imperative that this cycle comes to an end. Perhaps only through accountability and consequences will we see meaningful change.

This article originally appeared on The Western Journal.