California Professor Arrested for Alleged Tear Gas Incident at ICE Raid Protest

July 15, 2025 – Jonathan Anthony Caravello, a 37-year-old math and philosophy lecturer at California State University Channel Islands, was arrested on July 10, 2025, during a protest against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, California. Federal prosecutors, led by U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, charged Caravello with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers under 18 USC 111, alleging he threw a tear gas canister at law enforcement during the chaotic demonstration. Caravello appeared in a Los Angeles federal courtroom on July 14, 2025, and was released on a $15,000 bond, with an arraignment set for August 1, 2025.

The ICE raid targeted Glass House Farms’ cannabis facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria, resulting in 361 arrests, including 200 suspected undocumented immigrants and 14 minors, some unaccompanied, triggering a child labor investigation. The operation, supported by National Guard troops, saw clashes as agents used tear gas and less-lethal munitions to disperse protesters. Witnesses, including student Angelmarie Taylor, claim Caravello was attempting to move a tear gas canister lodged under a wheelchair-bound legal observer struggling to breathe, not attacking officers. Taylor described masked agents tackling Caravello, who sustained visible injuries.

The California Faculty Association (CFA) denounced the arrest as an “abduction,” asserting Caravello’s First Amendment right to protest. They reported he was initially detained without access to medication or disclosure of his location, later confirmed at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center on July 12 after efforts by friends and students. Attorney Vanessa Valdez, representing Caravello’s supporters, emphasized the lack of transparency during his detention.

The raids have drawn widespread criticism, particularly after the death of farmworker Jaime Alanis, who fell 30 feet from a greenhouse roof during the Camarillo operation. A federal judge in Los Angeles issued a temporary restraining order on July 11, 2025, citing evidence of ICE’s racial profiling and Fourth Amendment violations, mandating “reasonable suspicion” for arrests. Governor Gavin Newsom and Oxnard Mayor Luis McArthur condemned the raids for community disruption, while the FBI offers a $50,000 reward for information on a protester who allegedly fired a pistol at agents.

Sentiment on X reflects division: @DailyMail and @nypost highlight the assault charge, while @broadwaybabyto and @jrivanob frame Caravello’s actions as humanitarian, criticizing excessive force. The incident underscores escalating tensions over immigration enforcement in Southern California, with ongoing lawsuits and protests challenging the Trump administration’s policies.

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