Immigration raids have forced undocumented dairy workers in Vermont to abandon normal life. A tenfold jump in immigration detentions has kept workers confined to farms, afraid to leave even for basic errands. José Edilberto Molina-Aguilar, a 37-year-old from Chiapas, Mexico, witnessed immigration enforcement officials arrive at his farm. He now stays put, like many others in Vermont's $5.4 billion dairy industry.
The raids target farms that depend on undocumented labor to operate. Workers face an impossible choice: work under exploitative conditions or risk detention. Fear has become the dominant force in their daily lives. They skip doctor's appointments, avoid grocery stores, and isolate themselves on the properties where they live and work.
Vermont's dairy industry relies heavily on migrant workers who lack legal status. These workers endure wage theft, unsafe conditions, and wage violations without recourse. Immigration enforcement has weaponized their vulnerability, making it harder for them to report abuses or seek help. The raids don't just capture individuals. They destabilize entire farms and the communities that depend on them, while leaving workers with fewer options to protect themselves from exploitation.