CSU Professor Acquitted After Being Charged for Defending Protesters Against Federal Agents

Jonathan Caravello, a math and philosophy lecturer at Cal State Channel Islands, was acquitted by a federal jury in Los Angeles of assault charges related to last summer’s immigration raid protests. Prosecutors accused Caravello of throwing a tear gas canister at U.S. Border Patrol agents during a demonstration against aggressive immigration enforcement at a Southern California cannabis farm. The charge carried a potential 20-year prison sentence.

Caravello rejected a plea deal early on, insisting he did not assault anyone and felt a responsibility to stand trial. “If I had ended up in prison, I wouldn’t have regretted taking this to trial,” he said. His attorney argued Caravello’s actions were defensive—removing the tear gas canister from the crowd to protect others, not to harm federal agents. Tear gas, they noted, was used indiscriminately by law enforcement during the protest.

The case stemmed from a July 10, 2025, raid at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, where Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol arrested over 300 undocumented workers in simultaneous raids. The protest erupted in response, with federal agents deploying tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Prosecutors claimed Caravello kicked and threw a tear gas canister back at officers and resisted arrest, but the jury disagreed.

The California Faculty Association praised the verdict as a defense of the right to protest and condemned the trauma inflicted on activists nationwide. Cal State Channel Islands confirmed Caravello remained employed throughout the legal ordeal.

Caravello emphasized the importance of deliberate, tactical protest actions and expressed hope that persistent resistance will reduce oppressive state tactics. His case underscores the broader pattern of federal overreach and the criminalization of dissent in immigration enforcement actions.

This verdict is a rare rebuke of heavy-handed federal prosecution tactics aimed at intimidating activists and immigrant communities. It sends a clear message that the right to protest—even against aggressive immigration crackdowns—must be protected.