Vermont Progressive Party Condemns the ICE Activity and Violence in South Burlington
Montpelier, Vermont — The Vermont Progressive Party condemns the reckless ICE activity and violence in South Burlington on Wednesday, March 13. Progressive Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak stated, “What happened in South Burlington [on Wednesday] was deeply disturbing. Federal immigration agents chased an individual down Dorset Street during morning rush hour, raided a home, detained three immigrant Vermonters, and escalated encounters with protestors to the point of violent clashes. These actions are instruments of terror inflicted on our communities and reflect a dangerous lack of oversight and professionalism. I want to acknowledge the grief and trauma many people are feeling today. I condemn the federal agents’ actions and join State’s Attorney Sarah George in calling for a formal investigation into their conduct by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Progressive Burlington City Council leaders shared, “The ICE raid was a travesty from beginning to end. It was initiated against a person who was never present and based on a visual “identification” from a distance that reveals the dangers of racial profiling. ICE started the car chase during the morning rush hour on a busy commuter street across from a middle school and high school that was beginning the school day. They received a warrant to search a house for a person who was never present but arrested 3 individuals not on the warrant who, as of this moment, have not been charged but are still detained and have been separated from their families, including their children. It was reported that an ICE firearm was discharged in the house when an ICE agent tripped; luckily no one was killed or wounded. This is the type of action we expect from a dictatorship, not the United States of America.”
“The events that unfolded on Dorset Street this week should alarm every Vermont who believes in civil liberties, due process, and the right of our communities to live without fear of militarized law enforcement,” reflected Progressive Statehouse Caucus leaders.
The Statehouse caucus leaders shared, ““ICE’s actions on Wednesday were reckless, irresponsible, and appear deeply unjustified. Federal agents forced their way into a family home in a residential neighborhood near schools, deployed chemical agents and flashbangs against a crowd of Vermonters, and detained three people who were not the subject of the warrant they claimed to be executing. The individual they were seeking was not even in the home.”
According to Progressive Statehouse Caucus leaders, “Vermont has clear policies intended to prevent state and local law enforcement from participating in civil immigration enforcement. Yet what Vermonters saw on Wednesday looked very much like state authorities assisting ICE in carrying out exactly that kind of operation. Both Vermont’s Fair and Impartial Policing Policy and its Use of Force policy may have been violated.” Statehouse Caucus leaders are calling for “a transparent and thorough, independent investigation of Vermont State Police’s and local law enforcement;s involvement in this operation.”
“I want to thank the many community members who exercised their constitutional right to peacefully protest and stand up for their neighbors. Burlington has long been a place where people show up for one another and speak out for human rights. In moments like this, we must continue to care for our neighbors, defend our shared values, and work together to keep our community safe,” said Burlington Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak.
The Vermont Progressive Party condemns further aggression and unnecessary raids conducted by ICE agents, and those illegally aided by local and state law enforcement, throughout our communities in the State of Vermont. Progressive Party Chair Bill Hunsinger stated, “Even in the face of intimidation, Vermonters make one thing clear: no one in our communities ever stands alone.”