When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided Lynn-Ette & Sons Farms in Upstate New York, in the early morning of Aug. 14, the immigration enforcement agency arrested and detained four Mexican workers and three Guatemalan workers.
But following Documented’s recent report of the arrests, the agency claimed they were acting on a tip, not carrying out a random raid.
“Rumors that ICE raids farms in New York are a false narrative,” said Christine Cuttita, ICE’s regional spokesperson. “ICE does not conduct raids as part of its routine daily immigration law enforcement efforts. ICE enforcement resources are based on intelligence-driven leads, and ICE officers do not target persons indiscriminately.”
Also Read: Immigrant Farm Workers Arrested in Second ICE Raid at Upstate Farm
According to ICE, the Aug. 14 arrests were a targeted action focused on detaining a single individual. ICE named the workers they had detained, but Documented has refrained from publishing their names out of concern for their safety.
“ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Buffalo was in Albion, NY on Aug. 14, conducting their routine daily immigration law enforcement that was targeting an illegal alien who has a final order of removal dated Dec. 25, 2020, from an immigration judge,” said Cuttita.
The revelation by ICE that they acted on a tip fuels suspicions by workers that the owners of Lynn-Ette & Sons Farms may be responsible for reporting workers to immigration authorities, as they battle an ongoing union drive organized by the United Farm Workers (UFW).
The August raid was the second raid at the farm in the past three months. A similar raid took place in May, when federal agents boarded a bus transporting workers. Agents came prepared with a list of names, some of them prominent labor organizers, and detained 14 workers.
Laurie Gregori, office manager at Lynn-Ette, would not answer any questions about the two raids and whether the farm was responsible for tipping off ICE.
“Yeah, we don’t talk about that,” she said before ending the conversation.
Although UFW has not directly accused Lynn-Ette management of contacting federal authorities, they say the impact of the raid has undoubtedly had negative consequences.
“Whatever excuse ICE might give for showing up at Lynn-Ette, and whoever picked up the phone to call them, the result is the same,” said Armando Elenes, UFW secretary treasurer, in a statement to Documented.. “Farm workers who have lived here for years and kept this country fed are being deported.”
你知道吗？非公民办理驾照时的这个错误可能会导致选民欺诈
Workers at Lynn-Ette are part of an intense labor struggle by the UFW to unionize farms across the state since New York’s landmark 2019 agricultural labor law, which ended the exclusion of farm workers in the state from the right to collectively bargain. On July 1, workers at Lynn-Ette won their contract fight for higher wages, health care benefits, and a retirement plan, but the farm owners have refused to recognize the contract.
According to the UFW, the recent arrests by ICE have only served to make the workers’ campaign for union recognition that much more difficult.
“The workers’ effort to form a union, to raise wages and improve conditions for everyone regardless of immigration status, has been stalled and disrupted,” said Elenes. “ICE’s actions have created real fear and intimidation that makes it harder for people to organize. And all of this only adds to the hostile and retaliatory environment already pushed by Lynn-Ette’s owners as part of their ongoing union-busting campaign.”
