Seven Vermont clergy members, who authorities said disrupted operations at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Williston last month, have pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington to criminal trespass.

Catherine Bock, 78, of Burlington, Jessica Derise, 54, of Williston, Rebecca Girrell, 47, of South Burlington, Elizabeth Gleich, 36, of Middlebury, Karen Johnston, 58, of Colchester, Earl Kooperkamp, 69, of Bradford and Susan McMillan, 65, of Colchester denied the misdemeanor charge on Tuesday.

Vermont State Police say the group blocked access inside the White Cap Business Park on Industrial Avenue on Sept. 4 and remained on the property when asked politely to leave.

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office had to file the criminal charges because Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George has refused to pursue more than two dozen trespassing arrests at the ICE facility this year.

State Police turned to the Vermont Attorney General, who has the same jurisdiction to file criminal charges as the state’s attorneys elected in each county.

It marks the second time the Attorney General’s Office has picked up protest cases after George gave defendants a free pass.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Burlington also has agreed to charge at least five protestors – four of them repeat performers.

Attorney General Charity Clark, who lives in Williston, has said she believes that as the state’s top prosecutor she owes it to Vermonters to uphold the law.

Clark, who reported she herself has protested at another federal ICE facility in town, stated she needs to be even-handed when enforcing state law.

Officials have said the anti-ICE activists have mostly peacefully assembled as provided by the First Amendment, but get into trouble when they go beyond the law and block access to ICE, medical facilities, a café and other offices in the business complex and disrupt the workers.

There are signs noting private property and no trespassing or loitering at the facility.

The office houses a National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center (“NCATC”) for ICE. The mission is to help find illegal immigrants, including the “worst of the worst” as Border Czar Tom Homan has noted is the primary target for removal.