In the wake of eight Vermont farmworkers being detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Monday, Governor Phil Scott faced numerous questions during his weekly briefing today about migrant workers and federal actions.
Vermont has been at the center of several recent high-profile Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions. In late March, Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was briefly held in Vermont before her transfer to a Louisiana detention center. A judge has ordered she be returned to a Vermont facility by May 1st pending appeal.
On April 14th, Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student and activist, was detained outside a citizenship office in Colchester and is being held in a Vermont prison. On Wednesday a judge extended by 90 days a restraining order mandating that he not be taken out of state.
And eight migrant workers at Pleasant Valley Farms in northern Vermont were arrested Monday.
Governor Scott, a Republican, opened his briefing acknowledging that recent statewide news has been focused on immigration enforcement actions in Vermont.
“And while I believe those who are here illegally and are committing serious crimes should be detained, I don’t believe we should be targeting those who are here peacefully,” Scott stated. “I do think a path forward for Vermont that we could all get behind is to advocate to Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform like expanding the guest worker program to allow pathways to citizenship and greater opportunities for those working hard to make a living and trying to take care of their families rather than being forced to live in the shadows.”
Scott defended the actions of the U.S. Border Patrol agents, who arrested and detained the eight migrant workers, noting it was not an ICE raid.
“It sounded like someone had called Border Patrol about two individuals possibly crossing the border. They went to investigate, found two people coming out of the woods, I believe. But those were farmworkers who were working in the sugar woods. They went to talk with those two individuals and one of them ran. And that was probably the biggest mistake,” Scott theorized. “So at that point they had no choice but to apprehend them, which they did but it led to others on the farm. I think it was unfortunate the way it all turned out. But I don’t blame Border Patrol for any of it. They were just doing their jobs.”
Scott said despite the immigration actions occurring in the state, legislators in Montpelier must focus on their work in the Statehouse. He lamented that although the House and Senate have addressed a few of his proposals, many have not advanced. Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark said while there has been consensus on some items, concerns include Senate budget deliberations.
“While many of the governor’s initiatives were funded, the current version of the Senate budget increases general Fund base spending by $50 million and adds new positions that create future obligations. Considering uncertainty at the federal level and the economic outlook, we need to be more cautious in base funding commitments. Because once we put something into base we’re responsible for it every year,” Clark emphasized.
A rally and march calling for the release of the farmworkers is planned Thursday at 6 outside Burlington City Hall.
