Vt. farms probed for illegal workers
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By GORDON DRITSCHILO Rutland Herald Staff - Published: November 20, 2009
Federal officials have subpoenaed employment records from several Vermont dairy farms as part of a national immigration investigation.
Vermont Agency of Agriculture spokeswoman Kelly Loftus and Dairy Farmers Working Together organizer Amanda St. Pierre both described the event Thursday.
"Starting last night, farmers started getting visits from immigration officials," St. Pierre said. She said the farmers were told they had three to four days to turn over records.
Reports of how many farmers are being subpoenaed varied. Loftus said the agency was only aware of four farms as of Thursday, but that more were expected. St. Pierre said between 86 and 100 Vermont farms were in the federal government's crosshairs.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., issued a statement saying he was disappointed in the timing of the investigation.
"We have a broken system that does not work well for anyone, and especially for dairy farmers and the workers they need to keep their farms running," he said. "This is all the more evidence that we need workable reform of the agriculture visa system, and it can't come soon enough."
Leahy's office said he has directed his staff to monitor the situation with the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
St. Pierre said she has heard from subpoenaed farmers around the state, including in Addison, Orleans and Franklin counties.
Loftus said ICE notified Vermont Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee of the action Thursday morning and expressed surprise that the state did not get more advance notice.
"This is coming at a time when dairy farms are at the most severe crisis they've been at in 40 years," she said. "The level of anxiety and stress is very high."
Loftus said the subpoenas place a burden even on farmers who are doing nothing wrong.
"The added stress of this is unfortunate," she said.
St. Pierre expressed the same sentiment, saying her group would have preferred federal officials hold meetings or training on the issue before resorting to subpoenas.
"When you have someone showing up at your house saying you're subpoenaed instead of getting a letter requesting information — it's not a way of doing business," she said. "As far as Dairy Farmers Working Together is concerned, we've all followed the law. The way they've handled it has thrown people off guard."
Loftus confirmed that the Vermont subpoenas were part of a nationwide effort described on the ICE Web site targeting 1,000 businesses.
A statement dated Thursday says the agency is committed to catching businesses "who believe they can unfairly get ahead by cultivating illegal workplaces."
The agency also said the businesses were chosen because of "investigative leads and intelligence" and because they have a "connection to public safety and national security."
Agents will review the businesses' Form I-9s, according to the statement, which are completed on every person hired in the U.S. The forms require employers to review identity and work eligibility documents to determine that they appear legitimate.
Nancy Sabin of Charlotte, who advocates on behalf of immigrant workers and helps place them at Vermont farms, said dairy farmers are desperate because nobody wants to work on a farm. She said she believes 3,000 illegal immigrants work on Vermont farms.
"Who's going to do the milking?" she asked, adding that farmers have a hard time finding Vermonters who are willing to do the job.
Sabin said she thinks farmers should launch a statewide strike, dumping their milk in protest.
"What do they want the farmer to do?" she asked.
gordon.dritschilo@rutlandherald.com
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