Vt. asylum advocates fast-track detention defense training after new ICE action

May 30, 2025 | By Jill Martin Diaz

In response to a sudden spike in immigration enforcement activity, the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project has launched a rapid-response legal orientation and screening initiative for individuals detained by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Vermont correctional facilities. 

A recording and materials are available online here. The launch comes on the heels of two major incidents in the past 24 hours: the arrest of 10 immigrant construction workers in Newport and the federally escorted transfer of seven ICE detainees from state custody to Chicago onto a commercial flight in Burlington.  

This morning, members of the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project trained a group of about 18 pro bono attorneys, legal workers, and interpreters to conduct Know Your Rights presentations and legal screenings for detained immigrants at risk of imminent transfer or removal. The goal is harm reduction because ICE cannot be the first or only voice explaining legal rights and options to people in custody. 

Trained volunteers will help orient detainees, assess eligibility for relief,  and facilitate warm referrals for legal services. While VAAP plans to begin directly representing detainees in bond proceedings later this year, new intake is temporarily paused while staff rotate through much-needed time off and triage existing caseloads.  

VAAP scheduled the training on short notice in direct response to two alarming developments:  

Yesterday, ICE detained 10 people who were working together as subcontractors on a private construction site at or near Newport Crossing in Newport. The individuals were reportedly all working with authorization as subcontractors through Patriot Building Systems of Londonderry, New Hampshire. On information and belief, the detainees are now being held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility. Five or so of the individuals were carrying proof of status on their person at the time of arrest and are reportedly being scheduled for release. A neighbor was seen filming the encounter, but VAAP does not yet have access to the footage.  

This morning, ICE transferred seven women detained at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility onto United Airlines Flight 1851 to Chicago. Legal observers tracked the detainees from CRCF to Burlington International Airport, where they were seated among commercial passengers with a plainclothes federal escort. Airline personnel referred  to the group as “specials.” Observers contacted VAAP mid-transfer in hopes of asserting the detainees’ rights—potentially through habeas corpus or other emergency legal avenues—and urged United to hold the flight. Airline staff stated they lacked the authority to delay departure or remove passengers already under federal escort. Legal observers mobilized in Chicago to be at the gate to observe the flight’s arrival process. The ICE detainees were never deplaned, but the plane reboarded for a flight to Washington, D.C.  

Among those present on the airplane was former Democratic Vermont state Rep. Kiah Morris from Bennington, who livestreamed part of the incident. “It is deeply distressing to see a denial of due process happening right here in Burlington,” Morris told VAAP. “We’re openly seeing individuals not being given an opportunity to connect with their attorneys and get the support they need to deal with a truly  harrowing, terrifying situation.”  

VAAP is hopeful about the prospect of being able to sustain this new initiative, considering the Vermont Immigrant Legal Defense Fund launched earlier this month. The organization is actively recruiting attorneys and legal workers to join detention visits and ensure no one is deported without understanding their rights or options.

For more information or to volunteer, visit vaapvt.org. Contact: info@vaapvt.org. 

Jill Martin Diaz, Esq., is the executive director of the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project and director of legal services for Connecting Cultures, in Burlington.