A U.S. Army veteran arrested during an immigration raid at a California marijuana farm says he was sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray.

The Central Valley is home to hotly-contested seats in both the House of Representatives and California Legislature. Some state Republican lawmakers in a letter last month urged the president to direct immigration authorities “to avoid the kinds of sweeping raids that instill fear and disrupt the workplace,” including farms.

Meanwhile, family and friends of those trapped inside rushed to the perimeter, which was manned by California National Guard troops under federal control. The soldiers were armed with batons, tear gas,

LA City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who represents parts of the northeast and Downtown LA, weighs in on recent immigration raids in her district.

The manager of one farm, Edgar Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen, said he was handcuffed, thrown to the ground and had his arm twisted behind his back after he asked to see a warrant.

“While (Homeland Security Investigations) respects the public’s right to peacefully express disagreement with immigration enforcement, physical assaults on federal officers and interference with lawful operations will not be tolerated,” ICE said a day after the arrests.

Reports flooded social media of federal agents arriving at a Glass House Farms facility outside the city of Camarillo

The vice mayor of Cudahy is apologizing for a video she posted to social media last month apparently encouraging gang members to organize amid immigration raids in Southern California. This video aired on the KTLA 5 Morning News on July 16,