BY HANK REICHMAN

Dr. Jonathan Caravello, a lecturer in mathematics and philosophy at California State University, Channel Islands, was beaten and arrested on Thursday, July 10, in an ICE raid on a legal cannabis farm in Camarillo, California, that also resulted in the death of a worker who fell from a roof while fleeing immigration agents.  Caravello’s student, Angelmarie Taylor, said she saw several agents jump on her teacher after he attempted to retrieve a tear gas canister lodged under a protester’s wheelchair.  Taylor said the agents fired tear gas without warning.  “They didn’t gave us a dispersal order. They didn’t say anything,” she said.

Caravello, who earned the PhD at the University of California at Santa Barbara, is being held at Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center.  He is active in the Channel Islands chapter of the California Faculty Association, which represents all faculty, tenure-track and contingent, in the CSU system.  In response to his arrest CFA, which is affiliated with the AAUP, issued this statement:

We strongly condemn the abduction of California Faculty Association professor, member and activist Jonathan A. Caravello, Ph.D. and other community members terrorized and arrested by federal immigration authorities while exercising their constitutional rights to protest peacefully in Camarillo, CA on Thursday, July 10th, 2025.

These abductions are an attack on our constitutional rights to free speech.  We do not tolerate retaliation against our union members or any person who speaks out against injustice.  Their abduction and disappearance are part of an intentional effort, another tactic of the terror attacks at the hands of the current presidential administration on our communities.  These actions further the enforcement of strict obedience to authority at the expense of our freedoms and our lives.  That all these members still remain unaccounted for is unconscionable, and extremely alarming.  We have unconfirmed reports that John is being held at Ventura Federal Detention Center.  There are no charges that have been confirmed at this time.

We are gravely concerned about the safety of Dr. Caravello and any other community members and the consequences of their abductions for all our union members.  If our safety as unionized public servants in the largest institution of higher education in the United States cannot be guaranteed against the brutality of federal immigration authorities, even as U.S. citizens, then the future of California and its youth is uncertain.

The California Faculty Association is a labor union that centers antiracism and social justice work.  We show up for our immigrant communities, including faculty and students engaged in efforts to protect our communities from the invasion of ICE, Department of Homeland Security, National Guard and local law enforcement.  We demand the immediate release of all of our members arrested, including Dr. Caravello, from federal custody in Camarillo, yesterday.

The administration of CSU Channel Islands issued this statement:

California State University Channel Islands is aware of reports that Professor Jonathan Anthony Caravello of CSU Channel Islands, a legal U.S. citizen, was taken into federal custody during a protest at Glass House Farms in Camarillo.

We are currently gathering additional information to fully understand the circumstances of the incident.  At this time, it is our understanding that Professor Caravello was peacefully participating in a protest—an act protected under the First Amendment and a right guaranteed to all Americans.  If confirmed, we stand with elected officials and community leaders calling for his immediate release.

The California State University remains committed to the principles of free expression, academic freedom, and due process, and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

In a parallel development, CSU Los Angeles announced that professors can move classes online amid fears about ICE raids near the university, which is situated not far from the downtown area where ICE and national guard units have been deployed.

In a letter to faculty, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Heather Lattimer said that after hearing from students “scared to take public transit and fearful of driving to campus,” leaders reiterated policies that also allow professors to provide excused absences and alternative makeup work arrangements for concerned students.  Faculty have “the option of working remotely for a limited time due to extraordinary circumstances they are facing,” the letter said.

“Recent events in the LA area — including the presence of heavily armed immigration agents in MacArthur Park earlier this week — have left many in our community concerned for their safety,” the provost wrote on Wednesday.  “This week also marks the 6-month anniversary of the wildfires that disrupted the lives of many in our community.  As a campus we recognize the significant harm that has resulted from these events and reaffirm our commitment to supporting our students, faculty, and staff and prioritizing your safety and well-being.”

Contributions to a bail and legal defense fund for Professor Caravello and others arrested can be made via Venmo:

Contributing editor Hank Reichman is professor emeritus of history at California State University, East Bay; former AAUP vice-president and chair of the AAUP Foundation; and from 2012-2021 Chair of AAUP’s Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure. His book, The Future of Academic Freedom, based in part on posts to this blog, was published in 2019.  His Understanding Academic Freedom was published in October, 2021; a second edition came out in March.