Federal immigration officers arrested several migrant workers during a targeted raid at Lamell Lumber Corp. in Essex, Vermont, after a monthslong federal investigation. The action, which took place on Saturday, August 7, 2025, has drawn attention because workplace raids are not common in the state.
According to Migrant Justice, a group that advocates for immigrant labour rights, the officers arrested three men. Will Lambek from the organization explained that most ICE arrests in Vermont typically happen in public spaces, not at workplaces. He called this operation a significant departure from the norm.
The arrests came after Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Burlington allegedly uncovered counterfeit employment documents during their review of Lamell Lumber’s hiring practices. Federal court records show that two men from Mexico — Alejandro Monfil Carballo, 40, and Artemio Cordova Mendez, 36 — were accused of reentering the U.S. illegally after being deported. Both men are being held at Northwest State Correctional Facility while awaiting trial.
The third man arrested has not been charged with a crime, according to Lambek. He was first held in Vermont but later transferred to Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts. Lambek said the man was not allowed to make a phone call while in Vermont and only contacted his family after being given phone access in Massachusetts. As of Thursday, he still had not spoken to a lawyer.
This raid follows earlier tensions at Lamell Lumber. On February 7, migrant workers protested after they were allegedly fired for demanding higher wages. They said the company offered to rehire them at $14.50 per hour instead of the $16 per hour they earned before. Those workers declined the offer, accepted severance pay, and left the company.
Monfil Carballo was reportedly hired soon after the protest, while Cordova Mendez had been employed at the lumberyard for a longer period but was not involved in the protest.
Federal affidavits show that the investigation began in February when HSI received information that Lamell Lumber, through Agri-Placement Services, provided both jobs and housing for workers. In March, officials issued a subpoena and a notice of I-9 inspection, requiring the company to submit employment verification forms, payroll records, and worker information dating back to late 2024.
HSI later said the I-9 audit revealed fake documents, which directly led to the arrests of Monfil Carballo and Cordova Mendez. Lambek said this was the first set of arrests in Vermont following such an audit.
Brett Stokes, head of the Center for Justice Reform Clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School, confirmed that workplace arrests of this kind are rare in the state. “ICE may have done this before, but I’ve never heard of it happening in Vermont,” Stokes said.
Advocates warn that this kind of enforcement could create fear among migrant workers, especially in industries like agriculture and manufacturing, where many depend on jobs that require federal work authorization checks.