VAAP, Migrant Justice, and Clinic featured in VT Digger

Advocates describe ‘hallmarks of a shift’ in immigrant detentions in Vermont

Attorneys and advocacy organizations are navigating an increase in federal immigration arrests — and rampant rumors and misinformation. Read the article here. By Emma Cotton. February 14, 2025, 3:14 pm.

“On Monday, as Stokes was looking into Alexi’s case, Jill Martin Diaz — the executive director of Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, which provides legal help to people seeking asylum — sat in the organization’s Burlington office and pulled up a webpage with its recently-launched ICE activity tracker tool.

“The tracker, designed to set the record straight about what’s happening on the ground, has experienced its own deluge of misinformation. 

“It includes a form that anyone can use to log observed or experienced activities of federal immigration officials. Martin Diaz then publishes only the verifiable instances of ICE activity and enforcement for the public to see. 

“At first, Martin Diaz received a flood of tips and information. Some of it appeared to be submitted by people who disagreed with the organization’s advocacy work (“What were they doing? Hopefully sending them all back. It’s beautiful,” Martin Diaz said, reading aloud from the submissions). But, at first, some of it appeared credible — or at least submitted in good faith. And it was overwhelming. 

““At first I was scared,” they said. “I was like, ‘Oh shit, this is crazy. It’s happening.’” 

““But then Martin Diaz stepped back, “as you have to do now, all the time, to catch yourself and to help catch everyone around you. Because I’ve seen really, really, really smart, experienced, seasoned people activate in response to misinformation.” 

“Once Martin Diaz waded through “explicit anti-immigrant hate, bigoted hate,” “some sexist, homophobic stuff,” and some potentially well-intentioned but false information, the tracker proved to be a useful tool. 

“Martin Diaz was previously unaware of at least two detentions — one in Burlington and one in South Burlington — that other community groups reported to the tracker, and that they were able to verify. 

“As of Feb. 13, the organization posted nine reports of confirmed activity, including at least eight instances in which one or more people were detained in Vermont and one in which a person was detained in New York but transferred to a Vermont facility. 

““I think people are terrified,” Martin Diaz said. “I’m hearing from service providers, social workers and other types of community workers, ‘My client doesn’t want to send their kid to school today. My client is afraid to drive their kid to the bus stop. My client missed her health appointment. I haven’t heard from my client in a few days.’”

“According to observations of advocacy groups and attorneys representing noncitizens, the pace of ICE arrests had increased substantially by mid-February, but remained less than a dozen. Martin Diaz was not aware of any workplace raids. 

“Stokes’ clinic, which is “one of the only places in Vermont that was likely to receive a call for someone who’s actually been arrested and detained by immigration,” he said, received two calls about people facing those circumstances last year. 

“Since Jan. 20, the day Trump was inaugurated, he’s received four. 

““In my point of view, there is an uptick, whether ever so slight or large, in enforcement actions,” Stokes said. “That’s for certain.”

“Martin Diaz said pre-existing immigration laws related to deportation and detention “are now being implemented at a slightly more frequent pace than they have been historically in my years in Vermont. We’re seeing a couple of arrests per week, whereas, under Biden, it would be a couple of arrests per year.”

““We’re seeing arrests in error,” they said. “But that also happened under Biden. We’re seeing due process rights being abrogated. We also saw that under Biden. Just like, some of it’s not new, it’s just happening with more frequency.”

“Federal immigration officials also appear to be more active, according to Martin Diaz. They’ve been spotted in the parking lots of grocery stores, department stores and banks, they said. 

““The law has already said that they can just drive around and be menacing,” Martin Diaz said. “That’s always been the case. It seems like the administration, right now, is prioritizing resources on that: ‘Yeah, go drive around and be seen.’”"