Vermont's Migrant Justice sues U.S. government, alleging immigration agents targeted members
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Vermont farm worker rights group Migrant Justice alleges in a new lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that federal immigration agents have surveilled the group, including using a secret “civilian informant,” in order to arrest as mVermont's Migrant Justice sues U.S. government, alleging immigration agents targeted members
Vermont farm worker rights group Migrant Justice alleges in a new lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that federal immigration agents have surveilled the group, including using a secret “civilian informant,” in order to arrest as many as 20 members over a period of several years and to wage an intimidation campaign. It sure seems like that’s what’s happening. In one instance last year, Customs and Border Protection agents arrested two immigrants to Vermont as they were leaving a 13-mile Migrant Justice march demanding better working conditions for dairy workers. Months later, immigration agents arrested another Migrant Justice-affiliated worker as he was leaving a dental appointment. Agents were waiting in the parking lot and followed the car for eight miles before pulling him over. The group also alleges that the state’s DMV has been sharing application information—Vermont is one of a number of states that allows undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses—with DHS. The state’s DMV has also been named in the lawsuit, with the Guardian noting that “cooperation between the Vermont DMV and [ICE] was revealed in 2016 by local news site VTDigger.” Read more