Preparing for Our Parents to be DeportedA Home Raid in Vermont and the Children Left Behind
Laura Sánchez-Parkinson is a resident of Burlington, VT and recently elected City Councilor. She grew up in a mixed-status immigrant family.
Growing up in a mixed-status family, where different family members hold different immigration statuses, you become acutely aware of both the risks and the responsibilities that come with being the only U.S. citizen in the household. At an early age, we sometimes joked that one day I might become the owner of our home or that I might have to be adopted by another family if something happened.
Last week, a family in our community faced that fear. A home raid in South Burlington, Vermont resulted in the detention of three adults and left children directly impacted. When parents are detained and have established a family preparedness plan, children may be released to a designated caregiver. But even with such plans in place, the disruption is profound.
Research helps us understand the depth of this impact. Dr. William Lopez has extensively studied family separations resulting from immigration enforcement. His research documents how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids can abruptly remove caregivers from a child’s life, forcing children to quickly adjust to new environments while facing the uncertainty of not knowing when or if they will see their parents again. This sudden rupture often leads to depression, anxiety, and disruptions in schooling and emotional development. Elementary-age children and adolescents are particularly affected because they are old enough to understand what is happening but powerless to change it.
Vermont has long been home to people seeking safety and opportunity. Across the state, communities have welcomed refugees and asylum seekers who are building new lives. Many immigrants have worked in the agricultural sector, particularly on dairy farms. However, in the past decade there have been increasing numbers of families who have settled in cities. They contribute to the local economy by opening grocery stores, restaurants, and barbershops. They also build community, organizing cultural festivals, forming soccer teams, and creating digital networks that help people stay connected, especially during Vermont’s long winters.
Dr. Pablo Bose has studied Vermont’s growing immigrant and refugee populations, highlighting both the contributions these communities make to the local economy and helping stabilize population decline in the state. Settlements in places like Vermont have been found to offer stronger social support, more positive attitudes from residents, and affirming local policies that make immigrants feel welcomed. However, the Trump Administration has not shied away from targeting smaller states and cities.
When parents are detained by ICE, the effects extend far beyond a single household. A child’s life changes instantly, but the trauma also ripples through entire communities. Families who once felt comfortable taking a walk along the waterfront or spending an afternoon at the mall may begin to hesitate. Everyday activities become calculated decisions. Parents weigh risks that others rarely have to consider.
The home raid in South Burlington will leave a lasting imprint on our community. The question now is what we choose to do in response. We can:
Advocate for the release of the parents detained.
Learn more about how to become a temporary guardian in the case of detention and deportation of parents.
Support organizations and funds that help families facing detention.
Reach out to our local and state elected officials to uphold our law enforcement policies.
Moments like this remind us that immigration policy is not an abstract debate. Children should not be preparing for their parents’ deportation; they should be getting ready for spring sports, hiking Vermont’s mountains, and spending time on Lake Champlain.