Food Chain Workers Alliance

Key organizational protagonists in this fight include:

• @ufw.bsky.social
• @nysaflcio.bsky.social
• @foodchainworkers.bsky.social

Thanks to litigation by @wjcny.bsky.social, farmworkers in New York won the right to unionize & collectively bargain.

Now, we must fight for their right to strike.

"Workers involved with the union fight were taken into ICE custody, and some have already been deported. Others feel even more afraid to speak out. The organizing gets that much harder."

[Update] The first half of the NSLU affiliation election has ended. 65% of members vote to join United Electrical over Teamsters Local 162. Now UE will go to a ballot ending August 14 with two more question:
1. Join UE
2. Stay Independent

"Calling famine a humanitarian crisis here means refusing to recognize it as part of Israel’s genocidal policy — separating the bombed from the starving. It means ignoring that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation set up not an inefficient food distribution system, but deliberate ​'death traps.'"

Since @mckenziefunk.com & I published yesterday, we've already received new reports of more arrests like this. Some families just find the car left in the road, with no sign of their loved one

Please reach out if you have more info on immigration arrests

Signals: nicolefoy.27 or 212-379-5757 (Mac)

This article features quotes from two food workers: a Waffle House waitress and a Walmart (largest U.S. grocery retailer) employee. That is very apt, because in a sad irony, workers in the food system are 60% more likely than other workers to reply on SNAP to feed themselves and their families.

DAILY MEMO: Agents Follow a Woman Driving Before Taking Her and More

@eltragon.bsky.social

LELO CHOOSES VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE Farmworker and union leader Alfredo "Lelo" Juarez Zeferino was granted a voluntary departure on July 14, and is now back in Mexico with family and friends. Lelo had been in detention at the privately-run NW Detention Center in Tacoma, WA since March 25, after he was pulled out of his car and arrested by ICE while driving his partner to work. In his four months of detention, Lelo had several hearings, but like hundreds of other people held at the Tacoma facility, he was denied bond. The judge who denied his bond is one of several at this facility claiming they don't have jurisdiction to grant bonds to immigrants who entered the country without legal documentation. "They are the only immigration judges in the country choosing to interpret the law in this way," reports The Stand. Lelo has joined a class action lawsuit by the NW Immigrant Rights Project to challenge this practice. "We are relieved that he successfully removed himself from ICE’s inhumane treatment," Community to Community Development said in their statement. "We value his wisdom and unwavering clarity that brought him to decide for voluntary departure...The conditions at Northwest ICE Processing Center have always been unacceptable, and we respect Lelo’s choice to remove himself from the continued physical and psychological violence of detention. It was increasingly clear to all of us that due process was not being followed, and no justice would be found."

DELMY CHOOSES VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE The Workers' Center of Central NY has been fighting to free their member Delmy Rendon, who was arrested by Border Patrol when she got in a car accident during a snowstorm and sought help from neighbors who reported her to immigration authorities. Despite having been paroled into the country legally and having no criminal record, Delmy was held in ICE detention in Louisiana for nearly six months. At the time of her arrest, Delmy and her husband Luis had been waiting for years for the immigration court to schedule their asylum case. And in a bond hearing in May, Delmy's lawyer cited specific points of immigration law that clearly show she does not qualify to be put in expedited removal. However, the judge insisted he did not have jurisdiction to authorize bond. Delmy reserved her right to appeal this decision, but this week she made the difficult decision to accept a voluntary departure to Guatemala, separating her from her husband and daughters who remain in Northern NY. WCCNY reports that Delmy expressed deep gratitude for everyone who supported her, especially by sending letters describing what was happening outside. She also documented her experience in detention and will be sharing more stories of the conditions soon, to continue her activism and resistance.

IN VERMONT, DAIRY WORKERS KEEP GETTING DETAINED After rallying around nine dairy workers detained in April (three of whom are now safely home!) two more Migrant Justice members were detained on June 14: Jose Ignacio “Nacho” De La Cruz was driving with his stepdaughter Heidi Perez when they were pulled over and detained after agents smashed their car window. Following a series of rallies and actions by the community, Nacho and Heidi were granted bail on July 10. "I am free thanks to all of you and to the entire immigrant community that was supporting us from day one" Nacho said upon his release. "Together we grow stronger every day. Join with Migrant Justice to fight for our rights. Sí se puede!" This latest detention happened just as two landmark laws took effect in Vermont, both of which Nacho and Heidi had a hand in winning: The Education Equity Act guarantees in-state tuition rates and need-based financial aid at public colleges and universities for all Vermont students, regardless of status; and The Housing Access for Immigrant Families Act prohibits landlords from requiring applicants to provide a Social Security number.

The @foodchainworkers.bsky.social just sent out a newsletter and it is clear that the ICE raids are also an attack on organized labor.

Defend and Protect NY Farmworkers / Defender y Proteger a los Trabajadores Agrícolas de Nueva York Under the current administration, one of the most fundamental sectors of our economy is under attack: food production. 73% of our farmworkers are immigrants, with undocumented immigrants making up 50%...

Stand with farmworkers in New York by signing the petition to demand that the NYFB takes concrete steps to defend their employees against ICE's cruel deportation agenda: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The N.Y. Farm Bureau must speak out against ICE Across New York, immigrants are being torn from their cars, workplaces and homes. Families are being separated as parents and children are disappeared into detention centers with poor conditions an…

Must-read op-ed by Workers Center of CNY organizer Mina Aguilar! The WCCNY team is working hard to support their members being disappeared by ICE in rural New York. Now it's time for the NY Farm Bureau to defend the immigrant workers who make their industry run:
www.nydailynews.com/2025/07/29/t...

"There is no parent union. The New Seasons Labor Union is an independent union, which means it’s on its own, for good and bad. You probably haven’t heard much about independent unions; they’re small, uncommon, and don’t usually make the news."

Dropped cases against LA protesters reveal false claims from federal agents Revealed: records show border patrol gave inaccurate testimony about people it jailed. Prosecutors now face ‘embarrassing’ dismissals

"Out of nine 'assault' and 'impeding' felony cases the justice department filed immediately after the start of the protests and promoted by the attorney general, Pam Bondi, prosecutors dismissed seven of them soon after filing the charges."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Our Toronto member @j4mw.bsky.social is holding a public action in front of the Ontario Ministry of Labour TODAY, to highlight the extreme weather conditions that workers are currently facing. Like many groups, they've been sounding the alarm about extreme heat for years already. #HeatStress

Trump's Labor Department proposes more than 60 rule changes in a push to deregulate workplaces The U.S. Department of Labor is aiming to rewrite or repeal more than 60 “obsolete” workplace regulations adopted under previous presidential administrations.

These changes include cutting overtime & minimum wages for home health workers & protections from retaliation for guest workers reporting abuses.
They're critical protections for some of the lowest wage & most vulnerable workers.
Basic rights & dignity are not "obsolete."

apnews.com/article/labo...

Recent Graduates Were Told They Were Coming to the U.S. for Cultural Exchange. They Ended Up Trapped in a Factory Farm. A lawsuit alleges that three Guatemalan citizens, who came to the U.S. on J-1 visas, worked dangerous jobs under false pretenses.

Recent Graduates Were Told They Were Coming to the U.S. for Cultural Exchange. They Ended Up Trapped in a Factory Farm. sentientmedia.org/cultural-exc...

The Men Trump Deported to a Salvadoran Prison On March 15, President Donald Trump’s administration sent more than 230 Venezuelan immigrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. Last week, the men were released as suddenly as they’d been t...

This is who Trump shipped to a Salvadoran dungeon:

An event planner
A coal miner
An Uber driver
Tortilla maker
Barber
DoorDashers
Soccer coaches
Furniture-maker
Car washers
Taxi drivers
HVAC techs
Auto parts worker
Tire plant worker

and 240 more...

projects.propublica.org/venezuelan-i...

How Trump’s anti-immigrant policies could collapse the US food industry – visualized The president is threatening to deport essential farm workers, grocery clerks and food delivery drivers. But without them, shelves could go empty and prices could soar

Immigrants are the backbone of our food system, especially the dangerous and exploitative meat industry.

Striking stats and visuals in the Guardian from Rita Liu and @ninalakhani.bsky.social

DAILY MEMO: Women, Children, and Babies Faced Armed ICE Agents While Sitting on a Curb in Santa Ana and More

@eltragon.bsky.social

Immigrant Farmworkers Win Housing Rights in Vermont A new state law establishes protections for immigrant families against housing discrimination, aiding farmworkers.

Under a freshly enacted Vermont bill on housing that bars discrimination on the basis of citizenship or immigration status, immigrant farmworkers no longer need to submit a social security number on rental applications.

Elvis spent years working at a restaurant earning well below the minimum wage, while being subject to verbal abuse and discriminatory treatment. He and his coworkers showed tremendous courage when they came forward to demand justice.

👉 Elvis's story youtu.be/dasE2kxDWCE

The Women Who Keep New York Clean, and the System That Fails Them — More to Her Story Nearly invisible yet essential, women laundromat workers face abuse and exploitation — and are now leading a quiet revolution for their rights. Photo: Kelly Kimball for More to Her Story

"'It's like an adrenaline rush,' said Ramirez about the moment she learned about her rights. 'It filled me with courage, because I began to read... how much the minimum wage was, that they didn’t pay me. That I had lunch hours that they didn’t give me.'"
www.moretoherstory.com/stories/the-...

DAILY MEMO: “Things Are Starting to Feel a Little Warmer” and More ~ @eltragon.bsky.social

Brother Lelo will voluntarily depart “No matter where I end up, I will continue fighting for justice alongside all of you.” TACOMA, WA (July 15, 2025) — After months of detainment in notoriously inhumane conditions, Alfredo ‘Lelo’ Juarez...

“There’s one thing that is really important in his decision — that it is his decision,” said Guillen. “He decided for himself, in his own way. He knows this is his dignity, it’s his ability to make that decision."
www.thestand.org/2025/07/brot...

Please stand up to ICE in your communities if you are able, and support FCWA member groups who are leading the charge: @foodjusticec2c.bsky.social, @migrantjustice.bsky.social, @wjcny.bsky.social, @floridafarmworkers.bsky.social, Workers' Center of CNY, Warehouse Worker Resource Center, and more!

Our Interim E.D. Jose Lopez was in Ventura County with Dream Team LA this past Friday, supporting the families of those detained in the chaotic ICE raid that led to the death of Jaime Alanis. Read the full statement on our blog: foodchainworkers.org/2025/07/stat...

⏰ REMINDER: Join us July 17 at 3PM ET for Captive Labor—a bilingual session on worker justice and incarceration.
📲 Register: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... 
#CaptiveLabor

“They have really demonized us with the word ‘criminals’,” Álvarez said. “Despite the fact we are undocumented, we pay taxes. We are invisible to the government until we pay taxes, and we don’t receive any benefits.”

Photo of Jose Ignacio "Nacho" De La Cruz and Heidi Perez, spotlighted in front of a crowd of protestors. Nacho smiles at the camera and wears a shirt that says "Justicia Migrante." Heidi looks up and holds a sign that says "VIVIEN." Above this image there is text that says: "VICTORY! NACHO + HEIDI TO BE FREED."

VICTORY! Yesterday, @migrantjustice.bsky.social leaders Heidi and Nacho were granted bond at their immigration hearing. They will now be able to fight their cases from home with the backing of their community. "Migrant Justice is stronger every day because we are a united community."

Those who labor in extreme temperatures deserve access to water, rest and shade regardless of race or national origin. File under: arguments we shouldn’t have to make in the 21st century.

You can also advocate for his release by contacting your elected officials and/or @pattymurray.bsky.social and @cantwell.senate.gov, whom Lelo is specifically asking to visit him.