Three illegal immigrant farm workers deported following April Border Patrol arrests at largest dairy farm in VT
By VDC Staff
Three of eight farm workers detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in April at Pleasant Valley Farms in Berkshire have been deported to Mexico.
According to Migrant Justice, a nonprofit migrant advocacy group, the remaining five are held in immigration facilities, according to an article in the St. Albans Messenger.
“Of the nine members of Vermont’s farmworker community detained by Border Patrol in April, three have been deported to Mexico while five others remain in immigration detention,” said the Migrant Justice Press Release from earlier today. “Community supporters and elected officials are continuing to advocate for the release of those held in detention.”
The April 21 detentions were not a targeted raid according to Governor Scott, who said in a April 29 Press conference, “Had they not ran, things might have ended differently…One of them did, and a chase ensued, and they led them to others on the farm that were here as well, that were undocumented. So, Border Patrol had no choice at that point then to take action.”
Additionally, Arbey Lopez was detained two weeks earlier while delivering groceries to the same farm. Lopez faces a bond hearing on May 15, while the other detained workers await hearing dates.
Brett Stokes, the workers’ legal representative, claims the deportations violated due process, citing an improper use of “expedited removal” authority. Migrant Justice’s Enrique Balcazar condemned the deportations as persecution but vowed to continue fighting for the detained workers’ release.
The arrests mark one of Vermont’s largest recent immigration enforcement actions against farm workers. Vermont’s Congressional delegation, Gov. Phil Scott, and nearly 100 state legislators, including Senators Randy Brock and Robert Norris, have criticized the detentions and called for immigration reform.
Current Detention Status of the detainees.
FCI Berlin, NH: Arbey Lopez-Lopez (35)
Northwest State Correctional Facility, VT: Jesus Mendez Hernandez (25), Diblaim Maximo Sargento-Morales (30), Adrian Zunun-Joachin (22), Jose Edilberto Molina-Aguilar (37)
Alexandra Staging Facility, LA: Juan Javier Rodriguez-Gomez (41)
Deported: Luis Enrique Gomez-Aguilar (28), Urillas Sargento (32), Dani Alvarez-Perez (22)