Maximo applied for deferred action, an immigration protection for workers involved in labor disputes, during our first pro se deferred action clinic in North Carolina last year. Maximo’s employer had forced him and his colleagues to work in the sweet potato fields under extreme heat without sufficient water or breaks. As a result, one worker died from heat stroke. Maximo decided to apply for deferred action so he could remain in the United States and fight for justice for himself and his colleagues.
Thanks to deferred action, Maximo was able to find a well-paying job where he is treated with respect and dignity. He also decided to join other migrant leaders in the Migrant Defense Committee, so he can continue organizing, building power and advocating for fairness in the labor migration system. His wife is starting the process to become a member as well.
This past weekend we held our third clinic in North Carolina and Maximo was there again. But this time, he was there to help other workers, talk to them about the importance of standing up against abuse and to share his experience with deferred action. Knowing full well the challenges of getting around as a migrant worker, he even volunteered to drive some colleagues to the clinic himself.
Stories like Maximo’s illustrate how the deferred action process is a game-changer for migrant workers facing abuse. The process provides workers the safety and protection they need to speak out against abuse and seek justice, and it gives them the freedom to find dignified employment elsewhere.
That’s why since the process was announced last year, we’ve been holding clinics from Delaware to Georgia, as well as online. In the last two months alone, we’ve held four in-person clinics in North Carolina and Delaware, where we’ve supported dozens of workers in filling out their deferred action applications.
The workers CDM has organized through targeted clinics near worksites where we have cases and campaigns work across labor sectors from agriculture to poultry to sanitation. The clinics have been successful because of our strong partnerships with Migrant Defense Committee leaders like Maximo and community-based organizations. Every worker we’ve supported has one thing in common: a deep desire for fair and safe working conditions.
North Carolina Justice Center, El Futuro es Nuestro, Duke University School of Law, Student Action with Farmworkers, and the Hispanic Federation made last weekend’s clinic in North Carolina another success. Thank you for supporting migrant workers and CDM in advancing justice for all workers.
Our deferred action work is far from over. Will you continue to help us bring deferred action to more workers like Maximo who are in need of protection against retaliation from abusive employers?