Farm advocates are urging western Massachusetts farmers to learn about their workers' rights following recent arrests by the US immigration agency.
Four undocumented workers from Red Fire Farm were reportedly arrested in March as part of a Springfield raid by ICE.
Red Fire Farm has land in Granby and Montague. Farm co-owner Ryan Voiland declined to comment on the arrests other than to say they're doing everything they can to support their employees.
Claire Morenon with the group Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) said she hasn’t heard of other local farm arrests, but many people — citizens, legal residents and undocumented alike — are very scared.
"We've heard stories about citizen farmworkers carrying their passports to work in the muddy fields because they're afraid of being harassed or having some sort of interaction with ICE, some sort of misdirected action," Morenon said.
She said CISA is helping to teach farmers what rights their workers have, and what due process looks like.
"Making sure that people know that they can have signs up designating public versus private spaces, making sure that people understand that they can ask for a warrant," Morenon said. "Making sure that people feel empowered to help support anyone who's being targeted by ICE."
Morenon said some farmworkers are so scared of arrest or harassment that they're staying home, which will impact food production across the state and country.
ICE did not respond to a request for information on the arrested workers by press time.
