8 migrant workers arrested at Vt. dairy in Border Patrol raid

Eight migrant farmworkers were arrested this week at Pleasant Valley Farms in Berkshire, Vermont, in what advocates and officials describe as the largest immigration enforcement action against farmworkers in the state on record.

According to news sources like the Burlington Free Press, agents of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection responded to a report made by an unnamed person who said they had seen two individuals with backpacks enter private fields of farms that bordered a wooded area along the U.S.-Canada border.

One of the two individuals was apprehended at the scene, while the other managed to flee. The larger-scale search of the area led to the arrest of seven more individuals, all of whom were charged with being in the country illegally without valid documentation.

The arrests took place at Pleasant Valley Farms, Vermont’s largest dairy farm. In a statement, CBP spokesman Ryan Brisette confirmed the arrests and said the individuals were detained as part of the agency’s mission to secure the border.

Vermont-based advocacy organization Migrant Justice said all eight were farmworkers and were either arrested on the job or at home at the farm.

Will Lambek of Migrant Justice told the Burlington Free Press on Tuesday all eight farmworkers were living in the same trailer on the farm, where they were arrested.

Among those arrested were 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.

“We started getting calls from workers on the farm around 6:15 p.m. on Monday, who reported a large number of border patrol vehicles coming onto the farm property and agents walking around,” Lambek said.

Pleasant Valley Farms, posted to their Facebook page stating that the farm has worked fully with CBP and complied with all federal and state employment standards.

The immigration status of the workers who have been detained is unclear. One worker had allegedly already been in the process of requesting asylum.

The action has raised alarm among state policymakers and farm leaders. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott issued a statement expressing concern, citing the critical role that migrant labor contributes to the state’s economy and society. “I have long been clear: migrant workers are an essential part of our communities. They are our neighbors and friends, have kids in our schools, shop at our businesses, and play an important role in our economy and workforce,” Scott said.

Anson Tebetts, the Secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, agreed. “It’s important Vermonters are aware that migrant workers play key roles at dairy farms and farms across Vermont — and not Vermont but across the country,” he said.