An immigration enforcement operation targeting two marijuana facilities in California is dividing Americans, as a viral video shows a young man crying as he says his mother was detained. 

Federal immigration officers conducted enforcement operations at two marijuana facilities on Thursday. Immigration officials say they detained several illegal migrants and arrested dozens of protesters who clashed with officers. A video also appeared to show someone open fire at the agents.

Immigration officials said they “rescued” eight unaccompanied migrant children during the operation. However, a video from the operation has divided Americans, with Democratic officials condemning the raid, and conservatives asking why there apparently were migrant children at the facility. 

Governor Newsom shared a video from a local TV station, KTLA, which showed children and protesters fleeing after tear gas was deployed to disperse the crowd. In the video, one migrant — which KTLA described as a “young man” — is seen with his hands to his face, crying.

Someone off-camera is heard asking, “They took your mom?” 

The young man turns and nods.

Mr. Newsom wrote, “Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields. Trump calls me ‘Newscum’ — but he’s the real scum.”

Senator Gallego wrote, “Instead of prioritizing dangerous criminals Trump is targeting families that have been here for years picking our food. The public outcry and protests are occuring because the American public knows this is wrong.”

One user wrote on X, “Nothing like gassing kids in lettuce fields to really own the libs.”

“This is absolutely disgusting! All those poor innocent children being caught in this!” another person said. 

A Democratic congressman, Jimmy Gomez, asked on X, “How many MS-13 gang members are waking up at 3 a.m. to pick strawberries? O’yeah, zero!”

“Trump said he’d go after ‘bad hombres,’ but he’s targeting the immigrant farm workers who feed America. Either he lied — or he can’t tell the difference,” he said. 

The White House’s official X account shot back with what appeared to be a picture generated by artificial intelligence depicting Mr. Gomez crying and wrote, “ICE: Raids marijuana farms filled with illegal aliens Cryin’ Jimmy: ‘ThEy’Re JuSt StRaWbErRy PiCkErS.’”

“That ain’t produce, holmes. THAT’S PRODUCT,” the post said. 

A representative of the Department of Homeland Security told the Sun, “At the California marijuana facility, ICE and CBP law enforcement rescued 8 unaccompanied migrant children from what looks like exploitation, violation of child labor laws and potentially human trafficking or smuggling. Yet, Gavin Newsom, Ruben Gallego and other politicians continue to demonize and attack the law enforcement officers who bravely rescued these children.”

The Customs and Border Patrol commissioner, Rodney Scott, responded to Mr. Newsom’s post and said that the facility is now facing an investigation for child labor violations. 

Meanwhile, the official X account for the Department of Homeland Security said, “Unaccompanied migrant children shouldn’t be forced into labor at California marijuana facilities.”

Congressman Brandon Gill sarcastically wrote in response to Democrats’ criticism of the raid, “We need illegal alien children working all day in the fields to grow our weed!”

Other users reiterated that federal officials were executing a search warrant on the facility.