Makes First Award of $100,000 to Vermont Asylum Assistance Project
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund (VILDF) today announced it raised $250,000 since its launch in May. VILDF has already made its first grant of $100,000 to the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project.
VILDF was established in May 2025 to bolster legal representation and support for immigrants in Vermont. With a record number of immigration detentions and removals taking place in Vermont and across the country, the need for legal representation has been overwhelming the small number of Vermont attorneys with expertise in immigration law. The Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) will use the funds from this award to expand urgently needed legal services for immigrants facing removal proceedings across the state.
“Every Vermonter benefits when we protect our Constitutional freedoms, and the right to due process is not fully realized unless our neighbors have legal representation,” said State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, who helped found VILDF. “This first award is a galvanizing investment in VAAP’s ability to ensure our neighbors, friends, and community members truly enjoy America's promise of liberty and justice for all.”
“Vermont is leading the way in showing how we can come together to acknowledge human dignity and real public safety,” said Senator Ram Hinsdale. “This award is an investment in the greatest needs our system faces to uphold the rights to which every person in our state is entitled.”
The infusion of funds allows VAAP to act immediately on three priority fronts:
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Immediate staffing boost: VAAP will welcome its inaugural Director of Operations and Legal Assistant/Paralegal who will lead efforts to streamline and strengthen the integration of pro bono and full-time volunteer attorneys into our legal services model, allowing their growing team of lawyers to focus more on legal work and client service. This strategic addition ensures coordinated support for volunteers working alongside paid staff on active VAAP cases.
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Parity for rural immigrant communities: VAAP is preparing to recruit 3–5 Rural Legal Support Workers, legal or paralegal advocates who will bring legal information, screenings, and services directly to community-based organizations (CBOs) spanning Vermont’s underserved geographies. Working in close partnership with trusted local institutions, these workers will act as bridges between the law and the community, ensuring culturally and linguistically responsive access to legal pathways. Rooted in lived experience and place-based relationships, this cohort will expand VAAP’s reach beyond traditional legal hubs—meeting immigrant communities where they are and reducing barriers to representation. By embedding legal capacity within rural CBOs, this initiative furthers our vision of a decentralized, community-anchored model for immigration justice across the state.
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On-site screening at Vermont detention facilities. VAAP will deploy “boots-on-the-ground” intake and screening teams at the Northwest State Correctional Facility (NWSCF) in Swanton and the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (CRCF) in South Burlington. Regular presence inside the facilities will help identify individuals who would otherwise navigate removal proceedings alone.
“With VILDF’s timely support, we can move forward with confidence to hire the staff essential to addressing Vermont’s acute legal access gaps statewide,” said Jill Martin Diaz, VAAP’s Executive Director. “We know that life-altering decisions to detain and deport people are happening too quickly and too often in error, not only devastating individuals and families, but also threatening constitutional rights and civil liberties for all. Access to counsel isn’t a luxury—it’s the bare minimum for a fair shot at justice.”
Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund
State Treasurer Mike Pieciak and Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale founded VILDF with a group of trusted colleagues in May 2025. VILDF seeks to raise $1,000,000 to strengthen immigration legal defense in Vermont.
The state has a small group of dedicated immigration legal service providers, including the Vermont Law and Graduate School, the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, the Association of Africans Living in Vermont, and several independent pro bono attorneys. Addressing the growing unmet need for immigrant legal defense depends on the capacity of these entities to grow. For more information, please see https://www.vermontlegaldefensefund.com.
Vermont Asylum Assistance Project
VAAP is a legal services and technical assistance provider that exists to raise Vermont non-citizens’ awareness of and access to critical immigration legal help and support. We achieve our mission through statewide direct service delivery, pro bono coordination, technical assistance, community education, and administrative and legislative advocacy. Serving as a bridge between immigrant service providers and regulators across the state and region, VAAP educates the public on immigration issues and advocates for policies and practices that advance immigrants’ rights. For more information, see https://www.vaapvt.org.
8.12.2025. Montpelier, Vt. – Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund
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