ICE agents and protesters stand behind the building on Dorset Street in South Burlington Wednesday afternoon. VermontBiz photos.
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine According to multiple reports, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) on Wednesday morning attempted to apprehend an alleged undocumented immigrant who had previously been deported and re-entered the US. A car chase involving ICE ensued near the South Burlington High School and Tuttle Middle School on Dorset Street and nearby off-road areas. The result of the chase was multiple-vehicle crashes with reportedly two subjects fleeing the scene. A small building on Dorset Street was then sited as the apparent location of the subjects and others rumored to being related to the subjects. That section of Dorset Street was blocked off and traffic was routed around the scene onto San Remo Drive.
ICE agents then waited several hours for a federal warrant to allow them to enter the building, which they eventually received. Local law enforcement as well as Vermont State Police were also on the scene as over 100 protesters eventually congregated. Once the warrant was served, law enforcement and protesters clashed, some protesters were arrested, there were minor injuries to protesters and law enforcement and the subject of the original arrest warrant was found not to be in the building and as of this writing remains at large.
At least some of the ICE vehicles carried New Hampshire license plates and reportedly ICE believed the original subject was at the 337 Dorset Street building. VermontBiz counted eight ICE agents behind the building in a parking area in the afternoon as well as several members of the VSP, South Burlington PD and DMV enforcement. Protesters had blocked the front and back entrances to the building, which is a former insurance office and home.
Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement following the South Burlington law enforcement actions taken yesterday.
“From my perspective, what unfolded yesterday in South Burlington was totally unnecessary. In this difficult national climate, it’s the responsibility of law enforcement officials to do their jobs in a safe and lawful way. The actions of federal law enforcement, from outside the state yesterday, further demonstrates a lack of training, coordination, leadership, and outdated tactics which put both peaceful protesters and Vermont law enforcement in a difficult situation.
“Yesterday, Vermont State Police, along with the Burlington and Williston police departments responded, at the request of the South Burlington Police Department, to help ensure public safety for protesters, the general public, and law enforcement. I want to thank them for their professionalism throughout an incredibly challenging situation.
“I want to be clear, how the events concluded, and the tactics deployed by federal officials, as well as actions of those there to agitate, further escalated a situation that was avoidable from the start. It’s examples like this that further divide communities and law enforcement and result in more harm being done than good.
“Throughout the morning, I’ve met with legislative leadership and will be meeting with members of the federal delegation and their staff this afternoon to update them on the situation.”
Statement Wednesday from Speaker Krowinski on Federal Immigration Action in South Burlington
“What happened today was completely avoidable.
“Vermonters have the right to free speech, freedom of assembly, and due process. Unfortunately, it appears some of those rights were impacted today.
“Tonight, local law enforcement stated they told federal agents they did not believe their plan was in the best interest of public safety. This is a fluid situation, and I am anticipating a full report from those on the ground.
“Vermonters that were there, South Burlington leaders, and local law enforcement will be crucial witnesses to giving us a full picture of the events that happened. But it is clear, federal agents brought unnecessary chaos and harm onto one of our communities.
"You can take action right now by donating to the Vermont Legal Defense Fund, which was created to make sure that our neighbors have access to legal representation during immigration proceedings.
“The legislature will continue to pass legislation that protects Vermonters civil rights and keeps them safe in the Vermont communities they call home.”
Sanders, Welch, Balint Statement on Recent ICE Raids in South Burlington
The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (D-Vt.), today released the following statement regarding the recent ICE raids in South Burlington:
“President Trump’s domestic army, ICE, came into Vermont yesterday from out of state and, as is virtually always the case, acted in an irresponsible, reckless and unprofessional manner.
“What happened yesterday in South Burlington was outrageous and avoidable. Rather than notifying local and state law enforcement of a planned arrest, ICE created a crisis that resulted in them using of flashbang grenades and tear gas against protestors. To make matters worse, they failed to arrest the person they were initially pursuing and instead arrested at least three individuals who were not named on the warrant.
“As a result of the reckless actions of ICE, local and state police were put in an impossibly difficult situation.
“At a time when our country is deeply divided, this is not the way a federal agency should be conducting itself. It is long past time for Congress to take action to rein in ICE’s lawlessness.”
Treasurer Pieciak Condemns ICE Activity in South Burlington, Questions Law Enforcement Response
On Wednesday, Treasurer Pieciak issued the following statement in response to ICE activity and actions taken against protestors by law enforcement in South Burlington:
“I appreciate the many Vermonters who peacefully exercised their constitutional right to protest and stood up for their neighbors this afternoon in South Burlington.
"Over the past year, ICE’s reckless actions have resulted in unnecessary chaos and violence—stoking fear, breaking trust, and escalating situations that make our communities less safe.
"That’s exactly what we saw unfold today in South Burlington.
"Vermonters deserve answers. Why was tear gas deployed? Why were some Vermont state police wearing masks? Why did state police choose to cooperate with ICE?
"Vermonters are calling for accountability, transparency, and the facts. We won’t stand for anything less.”
Vermont State Police and South Burlington PD officers congregate on the Dorset Street median.
Vermont State Police details involvement with federal law-enforcement action in South Burlington
The Vermont State Police on Thursday provided additional information regarding the agency’s involvement with a federal law-enforcement operation Wednesday, March 11, in South Burlington:
Like local counterparts including the South Burlington Police Department, the state police received no advance notice from federal officials that they were planning to carry out the targeted arrest of an individual. VSP’s involvement began during the early afternoon Wednesday following a request for assistance from South Burlington police for additional resources to help ensure public safety and the right to peaceful protest after a crowd gathered around a home on Dorset Street that was the subject of the federal operation.
During the afternoon, state and municipal law enforcement received notice from federal authorities that they were in the process of obtaining a federal criminal arrest warrant and intended to execute the warrant at the Dorset Street home later in the day. State and municipal law enforcement also was informed that additional federal resources were being sent to Vermont to assist with this operation.
As details of the federal action emerged, state and local police recognized the federal operation could affect daily life in the immediate area, including the dismissal of local schools. State and local police made efforts to minimize the impact of the pending federal action. Federal authorities agreed to adjust their planned operations if state and local police could facilitate officer safety during their forthcoming action.
Late in the afternoon, the Vermont State Police was notified that a federal judge sitting in Vermont had signed a federal criminal warrant authorizing entry into the Dorset Street house.
VSP was notified that federal authorities were prepared to execute the warrant at that time. Federal authorities went to the property, announced their intent to execute a warrant and directed the crowd to disperse. The crowd took no action to comply with the directive. At that point, federal authorities asked the state police to deploy the Critical Action Team to protect members of the public and to protect law enforcement who were carrying out a lawful court order.
Use of state and municipal law enforcement resources in this manner conforms with the state of Vermont’s fair and impartial policing initiatives.
While in formation, members of the Critical Action Team were pushed and spit on by people in the crowd, and some protesters attempted to separate individual CAT members from the line. Later, the crowd blockaded law-enforcement vehicles; flung debris at police including beer bottles, water bottles, umbrellas and rocks; and grabbed and rocked VSP cruisers.
VSP resources on scene included uniformed troopers and CAT members. All troopers displayed Vermont State Police insignia and activated body cameras. CAT members wore their standard uniform, which includes protective gear such as helmets and face guards along with masks that are intended to protect the troopers from bodily fluids and chemical agents, not to conceal their identities.
Federal agents executed the arrest warrant, including breaking down the door to the home, entering and searching the residence. VSP troopers were in the area of the entryway of the home to facilitate communications with federal agents while monitoring what was occurring outside the house. VSP had no radios that allowed direct communications with federal officers.
An initial review indicates the extent of uses of force by state troopers was pushing and moving members of the public out of the way as needed, and one deployment of an irritant spray when someone in the crowd smashed a window and tried to get into a VSP van leaving the scene at the end of the operation. One trooper received an eye injury from the shattered glass and was treated at the hospital and later released.
As standard protocol, Vermont State Police commanders will perform a thorough review of all troopers’ actions to ensure compliance with policy.
The state police took two people into custody on charges of disorderly conduct during the incident: Robert Langellier, 34, and Joel Margulies, 30. They were processed and released with a citation to appear for arraignment April 23 in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Burlington. A third person, Dillon Tanner, 33, was cited on a disorderly conduct charge and released on scene; he also is due in court April 23.
As state and local police began to reduce their presence on Dorset Street, members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployed flash-bang devices and chemical agents to break up the crowd and allow one final ICE agent and a vehicle to leave the scene.
ACLU statement on ICE enforcement activity in South Burlington
Yesterday, an ICE enforcement action in South Burlington resulted in multiple vehicle collisions and a protracted standoff involving Vermont State Police, local law enforcement, federal agents, and hundreds of people who gathered in protest.
Bystander footage shows dozens of masked state and federal agents wearing tactical gear and using physical force on protesters. Law enforcement officials appear to have deployed chemical agents to disperse protesters over the course of the afternoon and evening, though VSP officially downplayed its role and denied deploying any chemical agents.
James Lyall, Executive Director, ACLU of Vermont: “Yesterday’s events in South Burlington show us once again that ICE makes our communities less safe, as a majority of Americans now recognize. Extensive footage demonstrates that federal agents, aided by Vermont’s own law enforcement agencies, turned a peaceful residential area into a war zone. Our thoughts are with our neighbors who have been directly impacted by yet another example of reckless state violence in our communities.
“The fact that masked state and local police were involved in this operation is deeply concerning – that fact and contradictory statements by law enforcement leaders warrant close scrutiny by state policymakers. Vermont’s legislature is considering multiple bills that would address these kinds of dangerous attacks on our communities and bring more accountability to lawless federal agencies, and we urge the Governor, the Attorney General, and the legislature to support their swift passage this year.
“Additionally, we continue to call on Congress to rein in ICE and Border Patrol by discontinuing the obscene levels of funding we have witnessed for many years and putting an end to the culture of abuse and impunity that has been tolerated for too long.”
Bills under consideration by the legislature that would address many of the concerning actions seen last night and the harms being caused by the federal campaign of mass deportation include:
- H.849 – the Constitutional Accountability Act to allow for lawsuits against government officials, including federal agents, for constitutional violations
- H.742 – an act to require access to legal counsel for people detained for civil immigration offenses
- S.208 – an act to require proper identification of law enforcement officers
- S.209 – an act to limit enforcement of civil immigration offenses in sensitive locations
- S.227 – an act to improve protections and protocols related to immigration enforcement in schools
S.208 and S.209 have passed the Senate; H.849 and S.227 are up on the House and Senate floors for votes today, and H.742 has not received a hearing ahead of the crossover deadline this Friday.
Migrant Justice Statement on ICE Agents Detaining Tree Immigrant Vermonters
Just before 8:00 am on March 11, 2026, Migrant Justice received word on our emergency line about an attempted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention in progress at 337 Dorset St, South Burlington. A Migrant Justice volunteer arrived on the scene and confirmed that there were at least 3 ICE agents on site. We then activated our Rapid Response Network at approximately 8:30 am.
For hours, dozens – and then hundreds – of allies rallied in front of the Dorset St home. We sang, shared food, and made sure that the people inside knew they were not alone. Protestors self-organized to keep each other fed, warm, and relatively dry despite the cold rain. Throughout the day, dozens of ICE, Border Patrol, Vermont State Police, South Burlington Police, and Burlington Police officers were present.
At approximately 5:30 pm, heavily armed Vermont State Troopers smashed down the door to the home, allowing ICE agents to rush inside. From outside, protestors could hear loud banging. A witness inside (a minor, so we are not sharing his name) watched armed officers chase people through the home. One officer tripped and fired their service weapon. Luckily, no one was struck by the bullet.
Federal agents detained three people:
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Christian Jerez-Andrade, age 31, of Honduras
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Camila Patin Patin, age 20, of Ecuador
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Jissela Johana Patin Patin (“Johana”), age 31, of Ecuador
None of the three was named on the warrant that agents used to enter the home, nor were any of them the driver of the car allegedly involved in an accident earlier that morning. The man named in the warrant – Deyvi Daniel Corona-Sanchez – is the car’s previous owner. He was never present on the scene yesterday, nor was he the driver at the time of the accident. The Patin Patin sisters are both in the US seeking asylum.
As officers dragged Jerez-Andrade and the Patin Patin sisters out of the house, protestors chanted and called for their release, and ultimately engaged in civil disobedience in an attempt to stop the officers from removing them from the scene. Officers fired chemical weapons, flash-bangs, and rubber bullets, brutalizing protesters – even striking at least one with a car – and detaining eight. The eight were removed from the scene but ultimately released.
The three people immigration officers detained from inside the house remain in custody and are currently being held in Vermont state prisons: Jerez-Andrade in Northwest State Correctional Facility (NWSCF) and the Patin Patin sisters in Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (CRCF).
Yesterday, Vermont law enforcement agents leveraged state power to support federal immigration agents in what we believe to be a clear violation of the state’s Fair and Impartial Policing Policy. Together, police and immigration officers violently separated families, ripped immigrant Vermonters from their home, and attacked protestors who bravely stood in solidarity with their neighbors.
This marks a drastic escalation of longstanding patterns of human rights abuses and violence carried out against our community by local, state, and federal law enforcement. We demand the immediate release of Christian Jerez-Andrade, Camila Patin Patin, and Johana Patin Patin, as well as a thorough investigation into the officers’ misconduct and violations of Vermont’s Fair and Impartial Policing Policies. We also demand that any charges against protesters be dropped.
“¡La migra, la policía, la misma porquería! We cannot allow police and federal agents to violently attack and separate families. Yesterday’s protest was a deeply moving show of solidarity by Vermonters who believe that everyone, regardless of immigration status or where they’re from, deserves dignity and safety. We will keep fighting until our friends are home with our community and the officers involved in this disgusting show of brutality are held accountable.” – Thelma Gomez, Migrant Justice.
Statement from Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak on ICE Enforcement Action in South Burlington
“What happened in South Burlington yesterday 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.
In moments like this, our community’s strength lies in our solidarity with one another. That solidarity is strained when federal immigration enforcement actions unfold in our neighborhoods, creating volatile situations that affect residents, protestors, and local officials alike.
Burlington police officers were called to the scene through a long-standing mutual aid agreement with South Burlington, which allows neighboring departments to assist one another when public safety demands it. South Burlington Police requested additional support as hundreds of people gathered at the scene throughout the day and tensions understandably ran high. The role of Burlington police officers was to assist in maintaining public safety during a rapidly evolving situation.
I know many residents are asking difficult questions about the role of local police in these moments. These immigration actions can create impossible scenarios that seem to pit our local law enforcement against our residents. Please also consider that, without having our local police on the scene, potentially worse escalations could have occurred if the situation was left to federal immigration agents alone. We saw this in Minneapolis, where the absence of local law enforcement during ICE engagements led to rapid escalation, extreme violence, and the murder of two civilians. I hold this important reality alongside knowing we must fully investigate and examine the conduct of our local police.
It is important to be clear about the legal framework our officers operate within. Under state and federal law, the Burlington Police Department cannot interfere with lawful federal immigration enforcement operations. At the same time, officers have a responsibility to respond to reports of assault, excessive force, illegal action, or imminent harm, regardless of who is involved. These circumstances can place local law enforcement in complicated and challenging positions that require careful judgment in real time.
I also want to acknowledge the difficult work our local officers were asked to do yesterday. Maintaining public safety during a highly charged and rapidly evolving situation is never easy, and I appreciate the professionalism of many of the officers who were working to prevent further harm while navigating these legal constraints.
I have reviewed my Executive Order 2026-1 with Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke to ensure full compliance. I confirmed the BPD fully complied with specifically §2(b), which outlines the duties and responsibilities of the Burlington Police Department in the event of an ICE action. This includes BPD officers engaging the senior agent on site upon arrival, documenting encounters with body-worn cameras, preserving evidence collected on body-worn cameras and other evidence for potential investigations, and monitoring federal agents for any apparent violation of state law for potential reporting to the Mayor, Police Commission, and State’s Attorney.
To clarify a few additional points: Our Burlington officers did not assist federal agents with entering the house or executing the warrant. A use-of-force review is underway regarding a BPD officer who has been accused of using excessive force against protestors. We have confirmed that one BPD officer used pepper spray; otherwise, our Burlington officers did not deploy less lethal munitions or 'flash-bang'-type devices during the incident.
Looking ahead, I am in contact with leaders in South Burlington to review what occurred and identify lessons learned. We will continue reviewing body camera footage and other evidence to ensure a full and transparent understanding of the events that unfolded. All evidence will be preserved for any and all local, state, or federal investigations. I will also be engaging our federal delegation to call on the U.S. District Attorney to strengthen standards used for securing a federal warrant.
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.”
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