Camarillo officials and residents spent much of the Aug. 13 meeting focused on federal immigration enforcement after a July 10 immigration operation in the county drew dozens of arrests and months of neighborhood concern.

The session included a detailed explanation from Ventura County Sheriff James Freihoff about the department’s handling of the July 10 “Glass House” enforcement action, a pledge from the mayor’s office to produce bilingual informational videos and web resources, and sustained public comment urging the city to take immediate legal and programmatic steps on behalf of farmworker and immigrant families.

Why it matters: Residents described ongoing fear in farmworker neighborhoods, interrupted schooling and missed medical appointments for children after the raids. Community groups and many public speakers asked the city to pursue immediate, local actions — including joining a pending ACLU case and supporting a county legal defense fund — to provide information, legal help and humanitarian relief.

Sheriff Freihoff said the county’s role is limited by California law and by federal supremacy but emphasized his department follows Senate Bill 54 and will not participate in immigration enforcement. He told the council his deputies “will not hold [people] beyond the release time” and that the department notifies ICE only in cases where inmates are “held to answer” for serious or violent crimes, after judicial proceedings have met the higher threshold he described.

Freihoff said his office learned of the July 10 operation about 15 minutes before federal agents arrived, that the initial notification suggested far fewer agents than actually appeared, and that county officers who later responded focused on traffic and public-safety perimeter tasks; he said deputies did not deploy crowd-control munitions and would not assist in federal planning.

Speakers at the meeting — including multiple family members of detained workers, rapid-response volunteers and nonprofit leaders — described the human consequences they witnessed: tear gassing, delayed family contact for detained workers, children left without caregivers and communities too afraid to attend school or medical appointments. Several public speakers said they had assisted with mutual aid in the days after the raid.

City response and immediate steps: Mayor Kevin Kildee and city staff said the city will compile an online resource page (cityofcamarillo.org/communityresources) and produce a bilingual (English/Spanish) video with trusted community partners that will outline legal resources, “know your rights” guidance and where to find humanitarian assistance. Council Member Martita Martinez Bravo requested staff bring information to the council about the County of Ventura’s proposed legal-defense fund; council supported directing staff to present that information back to the full council. The mayor also announced the meeting would be adjourned in memory of Jaime Alaniz Garcia, a farmworker whose death the council said followed contact with immigration enforcement.

Calls for legal action and oversight: Multiple speakers, community organizations and several council members urged the city to consider further steps: (1) formally joining the ACLU litigation identified at the meeting (Vasquez Perdomo v. Noam, referenced by speakers), (2) asking the county for a legal-defense fund or support for affected families, (3) requesting clarity and compliance from local law enforcement about interactions with federal agents, and (4) holding local “know your rights” workshops and multilingual outreach. Some speakers also asked the council to seek limitations on masked or unidentifiable law-enforcement personnel operating in the community.

Dissenting views: A handful of speakers warned against rhetoric that could encourage confrontation with law-enforcement officers. One resident said taxpayer funds should not be used to subsidize nongovernmental organizations and urged private funding for legal-aid efforts. Sheriff Freihoff emphasized deputies’ legal limits but also said local officers would verify credentials and assist only where the law permits.

What was decided: The council directed staff to prepare bilingual outreach materials and to report back with details about the county’s proposed legal-defense fund. Council members expressed support for referring the ACLU litigation item for closed-session discussion with the city attorney, but the transcript does not show a formal vote authorizing litigation or a legal commitment during this meeting.

Context and next steps: Sheriff Freihoff said he will report federal notifications at the county Truth Act forum next month and that his office will continue to verify the identity of any federal agents who arrive locally. City staff said the bilingual video and web resources would be released later in the month and that staff would present information about the county’s legal-defense fund when available. Community groups said they will continue to press the council for faster, broader legal and humanitarian measures.

Ending: The controversy over federal immigration enforcement — and how local government should respond — remained unresolved at the meeting. Council members and staff set several near-term tasks: compile resources, produce bilingual outreach, and brief the council about county legal‑defense options.