Glass House Brands has issued its first statement following a federal immigration raid last month on two of its California marijuana farms, confirming that nine of its employees were detained and announcing sweeping changes to its labor practices.

The raids, which occurred July 10 and were led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), resulted in approximately 360 arrests or detentions, according to government reports. The company says it has not been able to confirm the actual number or the identities of most of those detained but clarified that only nine were employees of Glass House. Others were either employed by outside contractors or had no affiliation with the company.

Reports that 11 minors were among those detained prompted questions about child labor. In its statement, Glass House said that if those reports are accurate, none of the minors worked for the company. Federal and state labor laws allow agricultural work by minors, but California cannabis regulations prohibit anyone under 21 from working in licensed marijuana facilities. Glass House says it strictly enforces that rule and requires all contractors to do the same.

One third-party contractor worker, Jaime Alanis Garcia, died from injuries sustained during the raid. Additionally, a security contractor and U.S. Army veteran, George Retes, was reportedly held without charges for three days.

In response to the incident, Glass House says it has cut ties with both of its former farm labor contractors and revised its contractor agreements to require stricter compliance checks. The company has also hired compliance firm Guidepost Services, led by former ICE Director Julie Myers Wood, to implement enhanced employment verification and document review processes. All employees, including third-party laborers, are now E-Verified, with age and identity documents reviewed by professionals.

As part of its changes, Glass House has also signed a Labor Peace Agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, allowing the union to organize employees at its licensed facilities, including its farms.

The company emphasized that it has always paid legal and competitive wages, noting that in the first half of 2025, its labor contractors were paid an average of $18.60 an hour—more than 12% above California’s minimum wage and over twice the federal minimum.

Glass House says it will continue working to ensure its compliance practices go above and beyond legal requirements.