U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested and detained eight workers at Pleasant Valley Farms on Monday, according to the dairy farm owners and an organization that represents migrant farmworkers.
The dairy is owned by the St. Pierre family, which
"We do not know the details or reasons at this time," the farm owners wrote. "We have cooperated fully with their instructions. Our employees were hired following the federal and state employment requirements. We remain supportive of our employees and appreciative of the valuable role they play in our community performing essential work on our farm. Our highest priority right now is to provide support to the individuals and their families."
The family finished their statement with hope that the situation is resolved quickly 鈥� and referred further questions to immigration authorities.
Will Lambek, a spokesperson for Migrant Justice, said his organization began receiving calls from workers on the farm on Monday afternoon, along with texted images of Customs and Border Protection vehicles.
According to Lambek, CBP agents focused their enforcement activities on one of several housing units at the farm. He said migrant workers living in other residences on the farm were not detained.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 speak definitively as to why they didn鈥檛 go elsewhere on the farm,鈥� Lambek said.
It鈥檚 important that we make it clear that migrant workers are an essential part of our communities. Many of our dairy farmers are very close to their workers. They treat them like family, so we鈥檙e all very concerned about this.Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts
According to a spokesperson for U.S Customs and Border Protection, agents drove to the farm after hearing from a 鈥渃oncerned citizen鈥� who said they saw two people, who were carrying backpacks, exit a wooded area and cross onto the farm property, which is about two and a half miles from the U.S.-Canada border. The spokesperson said one of the individuals fled. During the agents鈥� ensuing search for the person, according to CBP, they 鈥渓ocated and apprehended additional individuals determined to be illegally present in the United States.鈥�
The arrests of Jesus Mendez Hernandez, 25, Juan Javier Rodriguez-Gomez, 41, Luis Enrique Gomez-Aguilar, 28, Urillas Sargento, 32, Diblaim Maximo Sargento-Morales, 30, Adrian Zunun-Joachin, 22, Jose Edilberto Molina-Aguilar, 37, and Dani Alvarez-Perez, 22, have drawn concern and condemnation from across the political spectrum.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott said in a written statement Tuesday that he 鈥渂ecame aware鈥� of the arrests and is 鈥渃ontinuing to collect information to better understand the circumstances and facts.鈥�
鈥淚 have long been clear: Migrant workers are an essential part of our communities,鈥� Scott said. 鈥淭hey are our neighbors and friends, have kids in our schools, shop at our businesses, and play an important role in our economy and workforce.鈥�
Republican Lt. Gov. John Rodgers said Tuesday that it was 鈥渁bsolutely absurd鈥� for federal immigration authorities to target migrant dairy workers, if their only offense is living in the country without authorization.
鈥淭hese are essential workers,鈥� Rodgers said. 鈥淏asically migrants feed America. They pick the fruit. They pick the vegetables. They milk the cows. It is absolutely insane that we don鈥檛 an immigration system that allows them to be here legally to work because these farmers can鈥檛 find workers.鈥�
All eight workers are being held at Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans. Cristian Santos, a member of Migrant Justice, called the arrests 鈥渁n injustice.鈥�
鈥淒airy workers were arrested by Border Patrol in their own homes, a violation of their human rights,鈥� Santos said. 鈥淲e work hard to support the economy in this state, working long hours for low wages, doing work that U.S. citizens don鈥檛 want to do 鈥� We demand freedom for our fellow community members and won鈥檛 rest until they are free.鈥�
Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts said migrant workers account for more than 50% of labor in a dairy industry that would suffer enormous operational strains without them.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e all upset. We don鈥檛 understand all the facts yet,鈥� Tebbetts said Tuesday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we make it clear that migrant workers are an essential part of our communities. Many of our dairy farmers are very close to their workers. They treat them like family, so we鈥檙e all very concerned about this.鈥�
Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale said lawmakers have begun crafting legislation in response to recent immigration enforcement activities in Vermont, including the arrest of Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi. One bill, she said, would allow families to make preemptive arrangements for their children in the event that a parent is deported.
鈥淭his bill would allow for that family to have planned for a guardian to take over in that event and for that child not to become a ward of the state,鈥� Ram Hinsdale said. 鈥淚 really wish we weren鈥檛 planning for these things.鈥�
Elodie Reed contributed reporting to this story.
