BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — While many are relieved Border Patrol’s visit in Kern County is now over, others remain traumatized from their encounter with agents. A local gardener says it was a moment when he feared for his life.
- Border Patrol agents allegedly slashed a gardener's tires during a stop in Kern County last week.
- Ernesto Campos, a legal U.S. citizen, was detained and his worker, who was undocumented, was taken to a detention center.
- Campos claims agents threatened him with a blade and ignored his questions about why they were stopped.
- Campos was detained in a car for four hours while his worker was transported to El Centro.
- Despite fearing another encounter, Campos says he and his workers will continue to work to provide for their families.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It’s been a week since border patrol arrived in Kern County, and though they say their operation is now over, some remain afraid of another encounter. That is the case for a local man who is in the country legally and his workers who claim a border patrol agent slashed his tires.
ERNESTO CAMPOS, GARDNER
"I feared for my life because they had a blade and I didn’t want to open my door or lower my window," said Ernesto Campos, "I felt like he was going to pull out a gun next and maybe even shoot us."
Campos of Bakersfield has run his own gardening business for the last 17 years. He is also a U.S. citizen.
According to Campos, he and a co-worker were detained on Allen Road and San Juan Ave in Bakersfield as they were driving to work.
Campos said he noticed a white Chevy Tahoe driving behind them, and moments later, he saw the patrol lights on his rearview mirror.
"The driver got out of the car, rushed over, and tried opening our doors, but they were locked, and our windows were up. I asked him why he had pulled me over, but he ignored my question," he explained.
Campos says the border patrol agents then asked for his and his worker's ID and car keys.
"He already had my license, so I asked him why he wanted my keys if my truck was off," he said. "[The agent] then told me if I didn’t open the door or lower the window he would slash my tires. He then took out a blade and slashed two of my truck's tires."
It was at that moment when Campos says another agent came to watch both of them as his partner ran their IDs. Upon doing so, Campos says the agent threatened to break their window if his worker did not get out of the car.
"He detained him using force and then gathered his belongings and took him to his car," said Campos.
Campos, says he was then approached by a different agent who slapped handcuffs on him and detained him in a car for four hours.
As for his worker, Campos says he later found out he had been transported to a detention center in El Centro.
23ABC reached out to the Border Patrol for a comment, but we have not received a response.
After his experience with the agents, Campos says he questioned going back out and working, afraid of having to relive a similar situation.
"If they were to stop me again and the same thing were to happen or something even worse—I was definitely scared," said Campos.
Despite fearing another encounter, Campos says he and his workers will continue to work as they still need to provide for their families.
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