Vermont Dairy Workers React To Trump’s Deportation Plans
A farmer cultivating the land. Dry land is filled with weeds that needs to be exterminated. In harmony with his quest, the farmer is wearing black rubber boots. Photo credit: Luka Lajst / iStock.com
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of illegal immigrants with criminal records. It’s unclear how many people fit this category — but Trump’s sweeping statements are already sending shock waves into many undocumented workers’ lives.
Some shared those sentiments with VPR on a recent weekend morning.
Every Sunday, an ad hoc group of friends and acquaintances meets to play a game of pick-up soccer. The teams are fluid, and there’s no referee, but they play a spirited game, with players shouting in both Spanish and English.
Alfredo is decked out in neon yellow socks and cleats, and his hair is pulled back in a small bun; he plays a mean game with fast footwork. To protect his privacy, we’re only using his first name.
Alfredo walked across the Mexico-United States border 12 years ago, and has been working in Vermont dairies since then. He hasn’t seen his family in more than a decade.
“It’s just myself here. I have a wife and a kid. That’s my family now,” he says.