Posted Fri, 10/25/2019 - 11:48am
Migrant Justice is calling for a Milk with Dignity Day of Action at Hannaford supermarkets across the northeast for Saturday, November 2nd! Farmworkers and allies will descend on Hannafords to tell the supermarket giant that it’s time to take responsibility for the human rights of farmworkers. Over twenty actions are already planned for 11/2! Sign up to join an action or organize one at a Hannaford near you!
Posted Mon, 10/14/2019 - 4:47pm
National religious groups are endorsing Milk with Dignity -- and turning up the heat on Hannaford supermarkets to join the human rights program!
Following the recent farmworker-led march on Hannaford, three faith organizations wrote to the supermarket chain’s CEO urging him to sign on to Milk with Dignity. The Presbyterian Church USA (with 2 million members), T’Ruah (an organization of 2,000 rabbis and cantors), and the National Council of Churches (the country’s largest ecumenical body, comprising 45 million churchgoers in 100,000 congregations) are all throwing down for Milk with Dignity.
Add your name! Take a moment to send an email to Hannaford’s CEO telling him it’s time to join Milk with Dignity.
Posted Mon, 10/07/2019 - 5:54pm
On October 3rd, over 150 farmworkers, farmers, and consumers joined together to call on Hannaford supermarkets to join the Milk with Dignity program. Marking the second year anniversary of Ben & Jerry’s entrance into the human rights program, the event celebrated the progress made under Milk with Dignity and called on Hannaford to aid in the program’s expansion.
Rosi, a dairy worker from central Vermont, invited Hannaford to join the program: “Hannaford has the power to transform the dairy industry. With almost 200 stores around the northeast, they buy a lot of milk from farms where we are working hard milking cows. Hannaford has an opportunity to be a human rights champion by joining Milk with Dignity."
On October 3rd, 2017 farmworkers in Vermont made history by signing the first ever Milk with Dignity agreement with global ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s. The company committed to source its milk from farms that comply with a comprehensive, worker-authored code of conduct. Ben & Jerry’s pays a premium to participating farms, Migrant Justice educates workers on their rights in the program, and a third-party auditor ensures farms’ compliance.
Today we are proud to release a powerful new video, featuring interviews with dairy workers across the state on farms covered by the Milk with Dignity program. In the video the workers narrate the stark changes experienced in their living and working conditions, as well as the dignity they feel knowing that their rights are being protected by a program that they themselves have created.
Posted Mon, 08/12/2019 - 8:43pm
On June 23rd, three farmworkers were profiled and arrested outside a Vermont Walmart. Nearly two months later, after an arduous legal battle, Ismael Mendez is free and back in Vermont with his family and community. Sadly, Ubertoni and Mario were pressured to sign "voluntary departure" petitions and have been deported to Mexico. Ismael's liberation shows the beautiful promise of community solidarity and protest, while Ubertoni and Mario's deportation shows the cruel reality that all too many immigrants face.
After the detention of the farmworkers, nearly 2,000 supporters wrote letters to ICE denouncing the arrest and demanding their release. Dozens of fellow farmworkers participated in a photo-petition, showing their solidarity with their fellow members. And in vigils and marches around the state, thousands of Vermonters took to the streets to connect the brutalities of the national immigration system with the abuses happening in our backyard, chanting: "Close the Camps; Free the Farmworkers!"
On his release after six weeks in detention, Ismael said:
"I feel so happy to be free, and for the all the letters, the protests, and the marches. Thank you so much for being out there, fighting for me. From the day I was detained, I knew that people were supporting me, and it made all the difference.
Posted Thu, 06/27/2019 - 6:19pm
Posted Sun, 06/02/2019 - 8:58pm
On Thursday May 30th, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed H.518 -- the “No Polimigra” bill -- into law. Migrant Justice drafted and fought for this legislation. Its passage gives local communities more power to strengthen policies that stop the collaboration between police and federal immigration authorities (known in Spanish as “polimigra”).
Earlier this year, Migrant Justice leader Enrique “Kike” Balcazar took the stage in Gainesville, Florida to deliver a talk on the founding and growth of Migrant Justice -- and of his own journey from farmworker to human rights leader. The video from this inspiring and emotional story has just been made available.
Kike spoke at the annual frank gathering, hosted by the University of Florida’s Center for Public Interest Communications. Migrant Justice was honored to share the center stage over several days with journalists, researchers, and activists, all luminaries in their fields.
Posted Tue, 04/09/2019 - 5:06pm
After spending nearly three months in immigration detention, Cruz Alberto Sanchez-Perez, known to his friends as Beto, is finally free! In January Beto was refused bail by an immigration judge but decided to continue fighting for his asylum case based on the violence he has faced as an openly gay man in his home country of Mexico. On March 25th, Beto was granted asylum and today he is reunited with his community in Vermont.
Posted Sun, 01/20/2019 - 8:13pm
Take action now to stop the deportation of a farmworker! Beto was arrested by ICE on December 31st, despite his pending asylum claim. If Beto were deported, he would likely continue to face violence and persecution as a gay man. Signing these petitions works -- public support has helped release many immigrants from detention. Click "Read More" to learn about his arrest, and sign the petition today! Together we can #FreeBeto! #Not1More