Vermont responds to ICE

March 24, 2026 | Julie Lowell

Insight |Federal Tax & Budget, Democracy, Racial Disparity

The events this month during the ICE raid in South Burlington have prompted a lot of questions, and a number of investigations at the state and local levels about the conduct of Vermont law enforcement that day.

One thing seems clear to all involved: the state was not prepared for what would happen when Vermonters resisted ICE’s aggressive tactics.

In the wake of the tragic and avoidable deaths of protesters in Minnesota in January and others at the hands of federal immigration officers, state lawmakers have been considering some guardrails to protect Vermonters against indiscriminate immigration enforcement. To date, this legislation has largely followed standard processes and has not been treated with particular urgency.

These bills include:

Bill Number	Objective	Effective date	Status
S.208	Prohibit law enforcement from shielding their identity	Upon passage	Passed Vermont Senate on Feb. 12; referred to House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 17
S.209	Limit community spaces in Vermont where law enforcement can make a civil arrest	Upon passage	Passed Vermont Senate on Feb. 13; referred to House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 18
S.227	Protect students in schools from immigration enforcement	Jul. 1, 2026	Passed Vermont Senate on Mar. 13; referred to House Education Committee on Mar. 18
H.742	Provide legal representation for those detained in Vermont by federal immigration officers or who are subject to removal proceedings	Upon passage	Introduced and referred to House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 22
H.849	Give people in Vermont the legal right to sue a government official, including federal, who in their official capacity violates the person’s constitutional rights	Jul. 1, 2026	Passed Vermont House of Representatives on Mar. 13; referred to Senate Judiciary Committee on Mar. 18
For future updates on the above bills, see Public Assets’ Immigration Bill Tracker.

S.208 and S.209 both passed through the Senate in mid-February. The House Judiciary committee has heard some testimony on these bills, but they have not yet advanced them. House Judiciary has also not clearly stated if public buildings—originally included in S.209 but removed by Senate Judiciary—will be included in the list of places where law enforcement cannot make civil arrests. These bills would go into effect on passage.

The House of Representatives’ passage of H.849 earlier this month was timely and has been taken up in Senate Judiciary. House Education should follow their lead and take up testimony quickly on S.227, which the Senate passed two weeks ago. Unlike S. 208 and S. 209, these bills would not go into effect until July despite the current ICE activity.

Meanwhile, H.742 has not seen any movement since introduction. Unlike the other laws which try to mitigate arrests, H.742 focuses on how to support people if they’re in detention or facing removal proceedings. The bill contains a $1 million appropriation for the state to provide access to legal representation to those in custody in Vermont facing federal civil immigration charges. However, lawmakers and the administration have said this bill is problematic because of the expense in the current budget season.

These are not usual times. Billions of federal dollars are being invested in expanded immigration enforcement and detention facilities while the safety net is being cut to provide tax cuts to the rich. Hundreds of Vermonters showed up in South Burlington and at subsequent protests and community meetings to protect their neighbors, resist ICE’s violent approach to immigrants and voice their concerns about the role of state and local law enforcement. They made it clear where they stand. Policymakers, including the governor, should do the same. Vermonters—especially those detained or harmed—needed these protections in place before March 11, and they need to know the state stands with them going forward.