The morning air in Yamhill County usually smells like damp earth and ripening grapes. It’s quiet. But on June 12, 2025, that silence shattered for the crew at Novo Start Vineyard Service. Moises Sotelo, a man many considered the "backbone" of the local wine scene, left his home for work just like any other day. He didn't make it to the vines.
Federal agents were waiting. They tailed him. They boxed him in near St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. Before the sun was fully up, a business owner with thirty years of history in the Willamette Valley was in the back of a van, headed for a detention center.
This wasn't just one guy getting picked up. It was a lightning bolt through the industry.
The Arrest That Shook the Willamette Valley
If you’ve ever sipped a Pinot Noir from Oregon, there’s a decent chance Moises Sotelo or his team had a hand in it. He founded Novo Start Vineyard Service just a year prior, but he’d been in the dirt for decades. He even won the Vineyard Excellence Award in 2020.
Honestly, the way it went down felt like a movie, and not a good one. His daughter, Alondra Sotelo-Garcia, later described seeing him in chains. No shoelaces. No belt. His wedding ring and watch gone. It’s the kind of image that stays with a community.
Why Moises Sotelo?
The official line from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was that Sotelo had a criminal record. They claimed a 1997 DUI and a prior deportation in 2006.
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But here’s where it gets messy.
The Yamhill County District Attorney’s Office and local reporters went digging. They couldn't find a record of that DUI. Not in the state’s online database. Not in the local archives. This discrepancy fueled a massive wave of local anger. People felt like a "good one" was being snatched based on questionable paperwork.
Sotelo had lived in the U.S. since 1994. He was a chaplain. He was a father. To many in Newberg, he was the American Dream personified, right up until the moment he wasn't.
A Growing Wave of ICE Enforcement
The Newberg vineyard arrests weren't an isolated event. They were part of a much larger, more aggressive surge in Oregon during 2025.
- The Numbers: Oregon saw a staggering jump in immigration arrests, with estimates hitting over 1,100 for the year. Compare that to barely 113 the year before.
- The Tactics: Agents weren't just at workplaces. They were waiting outside courtrooms in Portland and tailing trucks in rural lanes.
- The Collateral: In a raid just a week before Moises was taken, another Novo Start worker was snatched during a traffic stop. The agents were masked. They didn't identify themselves. They just opened the doors.
It's been a weird, tense year. In August, agents smashed windows in Woodburn to get to workers. In July, 17 people were picked up during cannabis raids in the Rogue Valley. Even if you have "papers," the vibe in the fields changed from focused to fearful.
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The Economic Ripple Effect
When the "vineyard whisperers" start disappearing, the wine industry notices. Oregon’s wine industry is worth about $8 billion. Much of that relies on skilled immigrant labor.
"The general feeling around here is defeated," said Yamhill County Commissioner David “Bubba” King. He’s seen crews stop showing up. When people are scared to drive to the grocery store, they’re definitely scared to show up for the harvest.
Life After Moises
Moises was eventually moved to a facility in Tacoma, then Arizona, and then deported to Nogales, Mexico, in July 2025.
His daughter, Alondra, had to quit her logistics job to run the company. Imagine being 26 and suddenly responsible for a vineyard management business and a 17-year-old brother because your parents are gone. Her mother, Irma, eventually left voluntarily to join Moises in Mexico.
The family house is still the office. Workers still come and go. But the man who led them is on the other side of a border he crossed thirty years ago.
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What Vineyard Owners and Workers Should Know
The situation is still pretty fluid. While there was a brief "u-turn" in policy regarding agricultural raids later in the year, the baseline level of enforcement remains high.
If you're working in the Willamette Valley or running a crew, there are a few practical things you've gotta keep in mind.
- Know the "Sanctuary Promise": Oregon has laws (SB 483) that prohibit local police from helping ICE. If local cops are involved in a raid, that’s a legal issue you can report to the Sanctuary Promise hotline.
- The "Fourth Amendment" Still Exists: ICE generally needs a judicial warrant signed by a judge to enter private areas of a business or a home. An administrative warrant (signed by an ICE official) doesn't give them the same right to enter.
- Document Everything: If an arrest happens, get the names of the agents and the "A-number" (Alien Registration Number) of the person taken. It’s the only way to find them in the system.
- Have a Family Plan: This sounds grim, but after seeing what happened to the Sotelos, many families are setting up power of attorney documents for their kids and businesses.
Moving Forward in the Willamette Valley
The story of the Newberg vineyard arrests isn't just about policy; it's about people. It's about a guy who went to church, paid his taxes, and made world-class wine, only to find himself in a desert processing center.
Advocacy groups like Innovation Law Lab and UNIDOS Yamhill County are still active. They’re the ones tracking the "ghost vans" and helping families find their loved ones.
The industry is trying to heal, but the scars are deep. The vines will still grow, and the grapes will still be picked, but the "Newberg shock" changed the soul of Oregon wine country.
Actionable Steps for the Community
- Support Local Legal Funds: The GoFundMe for the Sotelo family raised over $150k, but many others have zero resources. Local non-profits are always looking for legal aid donations.
- Employer Training: If you run a vineyard, get your "Know Your Rights" protocols in place. Ensure your managers know what to do if a vehicle is pulled over.
- Stay Informed: Use the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition hotline (1-888-622-1510) to report or verify ICE activity.
The landscape of the Willamette Valley is beautiful, but for many who work the land, it’s currently a place of high alert. Staying educated and keeping legal resources on speed dial is the only way to navigate this new reality.