Steve Cortes, Founder of the League of American Workers, has raised concerns regarding state leadership and child labor practices following the discovery of illegal alien juveniles working at a California marijuana facility. The statement was made on the social media platform X.
“Child exploitation, illegals, weed,” said Cortes. “Good gravy. This sad story has everything the 2020’s Dems stand to represent! This is Newsom’s California.”
Federal agents conducted a raid at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, California, in July 2025. During this operation, they found ten undocumented juveniles, including eight unaccompanied minors, working illegally at a licensed cannabis facility. This discovery has prompted federal child labor and trafficking investigations and sparked debate over the protection of migrant youth within the marijuana industry, according to Reuters.
ABC7 and state regulatory reports indicate that California cannabis facilities have been subject to at least five formal child labor investigations since 2022. Over a dozen underage workers have been identified statewide, underscoring ongoing regulatory challenges in safeguarding minors in the rapidly expanding legal marijuana sector.
According to OnLabor and Cannabis Business Times, California has experienced more frequent child labor investigations in its cannabis sector compared to other leading states like Colorado and Oregon since 2020. Federal-state enforcement actions in California have outpaced those in other regions due to its larger industry and complex regulatory environment.
Cortes is also known as the Founder and President of the League of American Workers and serves as a senior political advisor to CatholicVote. He previously held positions as a senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance and is recognized as a commentator for Fox News and CNN. Cortes regularly publishes documentaries and columns on cortesinvestigates.com.
