By Kristin Carlson - WCAX News
Sheldon, Vermont
November 20, 2008
At the Green Mountain Dairy Farm in Sheldon they milk 900 cows almost around the clock.
"We've farmed all of our life and my brother and I are trying to set this farm up for the next generation," farmer Bill Rowell explains.
It takes 18 employees to keep the farm going... three are Hispanic.
"Do we need Mexican labor to run our farms in Vermont? Yes we do," Bill says.
The farm is just miles from the Canadian border. The Rowell Brothers say they only hire workers with documents.
Brian Rowell says, "We're always concerned there because even though we feel we've got everything checked out you know we're not an official and do we know how to check things out properly?"
Having Border Patrol so close by also worries some of the migrant workers.
"They're not scared of police, they're scared of immigration getting them and deporting them back to Mexico," says Saul Moreno, one of the farm workers.
Reporter Kristin Carlson: Because they don't have the papers you have?
Saul: Yes, they don't have them.
Saul Moreno has a green card and has lived in Vermont for about 12 years, but his co-worker didn't want his face shown.
"If I was them I would be scared too," Saul says.
The Rowells have never had trouble with Border Patrol. But nearby farms have had workers deported.
"When you're milking roughly 1,000 cows and you are relying on that help and tomorrow morning they're not here-- that puts you in quite a predicament," Brian Rowell says.
"It is illegal and probably should not be done," says Brian Savage, a newly elected State Representative from the border town of Swanton.
Farmers are one of his main constituents and as a law and order conservative he struggles with this issue. He hears from farmers who say they need workers but also says breaking the law should not be part of any business.
"The biggest concern-- it's not a concern while they are on the farms-- is if they should leave the farm and just go someplace and we don't know where they are going," Savage explains.
"We pay a lot of attention to Vermont," says Amparo Anguino, of the Mexican Consulate.
At the Mexican Consulate in Boston they are concerned about a federal crackdown in Vermont.
"This is my colleague Herman... he's in the legal department," Anguino says. "He's been going to Vermont for many years."
Amparo Anguino's office covers 5 states and of all of them, Vermont has the highest number of Mexicans arrested. For the first half of this year, 82 Mexicans were picked up-- more than triple that of Rhode Island, even though Rhode Island has nearly twice as many Mexicans living there.
"They stand out more easily so that may be one reason why," Anguino says.
Border Patrol says it's focused on the border not on Vermont farms. But Anguino says Immigration and Customs Enforcement does pay attention. There have not been many farm raids but workers are sometimes picked up when they go to town.
"And of course once detained the likelihood of being deported or voluntary departure is very high," Anguino explains.
"They're here, they're part of the community and we have to acknowledge that," says Chief Tom Hanley, of the Middlebury Police Dept.
Chief Hanley takes a different approach. The Chief says his officers won't detain undocumented workers unless they commit a crime.
"I can't arrest illegal immigrants anyway. I can request Border Patrol give us authorization to do a detainer on them and hold them until Border Patrol comes. But if they are not doing any kind of crime, that it doesn't rise to the level of our attention," Hanley says.
It was the first policy of its kind in the state and Hanley says it allows illegal workers to talk to police without fear of deportation.
Vt. State Police recently adopted a similar policy.
Carlson: Do you think your policy makes Middlebury safer?
"I think it does. I think it does give us a bigger pool of people who are willing to report crimes," Chief Hanley answers. "We can't have subcultures here. We can't have people living in the shadows. If you are going to be here in the community you should feel safe."
It's a complicated issue that's been difficult for Independent Senator Bernie Sanders.
"It's a sad thing. I'm not happy about it," Sanders says.
Sanders has built a career railing against companies using migrant labor and protecting jobs and wages of Vermonters. But he's changed his mind when it comes to dairy farms.
"I didn't always believe this, but Vermont farmers are telling me they're having a hard time-- virtually impossible-- to find good labor," Sanders says.
Visa programs exist for seasonal agriculture workers but not for dairy farm labor, where workers need to stay for two-to-three years to learn the job. Sanders is backing Sen. Patrick Leahy's plan for a guest worker program for dairy farms.
"I have concluded that in certain areas in agriculture migrant labor is very important. We need to make sure that people in this country are here legally are treated well, that they have rights, I am supportive of that," Sanders says.
The Rowell Brothers say a federal program would bring peace of mind to an industry trying to stay alive.
"This is a viable labor force and they're here," Bill Rowell says. "Hopefully we will address it."
Vermont's Congressional delegation supports a visa program to allow foreign workers to legally come to Vermont dairy farms for a few years. Senator Leahy has tried several times to pass that legislation, most recently this summer. Leahy's office hopes there will be a fresh attempt at solving this problem with the new Obama Administration.
Channel 3 has gotten a lot of feedback on this series. Some say these workers should be arrested and what the farmers are doing is wrong. But the majority of responses have been supportive, saying it's refreshing to see people willing to speak so candidly about this.
Mama Nancy-- who was featured in Part 2-- says she's gotten a big reaction with people saying they want to help the Mexicans in any way they can. And Rob Hunt-- the farmer also in Part 2 who admitted his workers were here illegally-- says farmers have contacted him and say they're willing to rally and protect him in case federal authorities raid his farm.
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=9389178
