This via Andy Bromage at Blurt:
Earlier today, two undocumented migrant farm workers – one of them an outspoken critic of a controversial immigration enforcement program – were detained by state police following a routine traffic stop on I-89 in Middlesex and handed over to the U.S. Border Patrol. Brendan O’Neill, an organizer with the VT Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project, said farm workers Danilo Lopez and Antonio (whose last name is unknown) were racially profiled by state police…
The situation escalated this afternoon, when activists from the Solidarity Project showed up at the Middlesex state police barracks to protest the farm workers’ expected deportation. When the Border Patrol tried to leave with the handcuffed immigrants in SUVs, five of the protesters locked arms and blocked the government vehicle – provoking a standoff that ended with three of them being carted off and arrested.
Bromage indicated that Gov. Shumlin has ordered an investigation.
I have no other info at this time… anyone else?
All part of the assault on workers (Yes, migrants WORK–for little pay, no health care or other benefits, bad housing…).
A coincidence? that this car was stopped?
I’ve only heard a little on this, but the advocates for the migrant workers and the workers themselves provide to the economy of Vermont, it smells like racial profiling and an unfortunate move by the police who rarely act on someone’s immigration status.
Partially related, but do we really have to have border patrol 50-100 miles away from the border? At that point they’re just patrolling us.