Ben & Jerry’s denounces anti-immigrant rhetoric abroad

On Tuesday, ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s denounced the British government’s efforts to stop asylum-seekers from crossing into the country by boat, AP reports. About 4,000 people have embarked on the dangerous journey into England by small vessels this year, often in an effort to escape violence and instability from their home countries. After one official vowed to make the route “unviable,” the company tweeted that “the real crisis is our lack of humanity for people fleeing war, climate change and torture.”

While Ben & Jerry’s has long championed progressive causes, the company has largely managed to avoid the accusations of opportunism that so often beset corporations that try—or say they try—to do good. After years of organizing among immigrant rights activists, for instance, the company in 2017 signed a Milk with Dignity agreement that guarantees higher wages and paid time off for dairy workers. Currently, it’s calling for Congress to include improved rights for workers, including undocumented workers, in its next Covid-19 relief bill. In a recent cover story, Bloomberg Businessweek explains how an ice cream brand managed to become a serious, successful advocate for social justice—succeeding where countless PR departments have failed.