WCAX-TV (Burlington, Vermont)

November 19, 2009

Immigration Agents Raid Vt. Dairy Farms

Enosburgh, Vermont - The day started just like any other for life-time dairy farmer Clement Gervais.

But that all changed at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, when an immigration official and two state troopers walked into his barn and handed him a subpoena.

"I've read about it in magazines in different parts of the country but I didn't really expect them to pull into my yard," Gervais said.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency-- otherwise known as ICE-- is now asking him to hand over documents and financial records proving all his workers are here legally.

Gervais has 22 workers-- nine of them are Mexican.

While he believes all of them are legal, he says there's no way to prove their papers are legit.

"It caught us totally by surprise. We were not informed about this in any way," Vt. Agriculture Commissioner Roger Allbee said.

Allbee says four farms were served subpoenas; two in Orleans County and two in Franklin County.

One of those farmers says he was told 87 total farms will be targeted in the coming days-- a claim that hasn't been verified.

"My fear is the hysteria," Allbee said. "That people get convinced federal authorities will show up on their farm and even though they may have the proper papers... this has a tendency to cascade."

"If our workers are concerned about their safety they may not want to work here and that's the last thing our dairy farm needs right now," Gervais said.

It's no secret that Vermont dairy farms hire immigrant workers. In fact it's believed the majority of all farm workers in the state are immigrant workers and some are working here illegally. But raid's like these are almost unheard of.

ICE says the audits are part of a larger nationwide work force enforcement strategy. Officials say 1,000 audits will be conducted nationwide-- and not just at farms.

That's little comfort to farmers like Clement Gervais, who worry the work force will disappear at a time when farms are already struggling to survive.

"We've had to borrow money every month for the last six months just to keep producing milk," Gervais said.

The farms now have three working days to provide documentation for their workers. But some are worried many of the workers will leave before then fearing deportation. Farmers and workers who fail to comply will face consequences. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said, "Audits may result in civil penalties and lay the groundwork for criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly violate the law."