By Guy Page
In Brattleboro, Protesters in Brattleboro are demanding Citizen’s Bank divest from private prison operator CoreCivic because it operates a large immigration detention center, Planet Hank of Brattleboro News reports.
“Anti-ICE activists block Citizens Bank in Brattleboro, VT over claims it finances ICE Death Camps. I went straight to the source for the real story and interaction—things got weird,” Hank Poytras reported yesterday.
Core Civic operates one of the nation’s largest immigrant detention facilities, located in Pennsylvania. It also contracts with the Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) to house Vermont inmates, mostly in Mississippi, due to lack of in-state capacity. About 125-130 Vermont inmates are held at this private facility, a practice that has continued for over two decades due to, according to officials, capacity limitations and facility constraints in Vermont. In September 2023, the VT DOC signed a new, $21M contract with CoreCivic to continue housing inmates out of state.
Anti-ICE Fear and loathing In Woodstock….the editor of a login-needed Woodstock list-serve, the Woodstock Community Crier, says he’s carrying his passport with him at all times now that – he says – ICE has rented some local hotel rooms. David Brown wrote this weekend:
On the morning of Friday, February 6th, I received a report from a reliable source that an ICE brigade had checked into a hotel in the area. As I understand it, a hotel employee quickly alerted a neighbor, triggering a town-wide phone tree. By midday, residents at risk had relocated to pre-established safe houses, and procedures were in place to meet children near their schools.
This experience has led me to reconsider the precautions I have taken and the additional steps I should take to ensure my safety. Until recently, I had thought my residence in Woodstock, my size, and my whiteness protected me from uninvited engagement with ICE. In the past few weeks, I’ve become aware that none of these factors guarantee safety from having my car window smashed, my door opened, my seatbelt cut, and being dragged out onto the street and possibly shot to death. Just writing these chilling words makes me wonder how this could ever happen in Woodstock, Vermont. And yet, it could. I worry about my friends and neighbors who gather daily at Tribou Park.
Since last fall, I have been carrying a copy of my US password in the glove compartment of my car. But I’m not sure that would be particularly convincing to an ICE agent determined to meet a quota. Here is something that I’ve done:
I’ve established two words known only to my family and me: a “safe word” to confirm that I am really David Brown speaking on the phone, and a “distress word” to signal that I am being held against my will.
Finally, urge the owner or a staff member of every hotel or guesthouse inthe area to alert the rest of us if ICE comes to town. The Woodstock Community Crier now reaches nearly 4500 subscribers, so posting here would be an excellent place to start.
Immigrant Defense Fund raising money- As of November, the privately-funded Vermont Immigrant Defense Fund, launched by Treasurer Michael Pieciak and Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale last spring, had raised $500,000 to pay for lawyers and court costs. The goal is $1 million. Its high-profile, bi-partisan members include State House lobbyist and former GOP Rep. Patti Komline, Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon, former lawmaker and Democratic Gov. candidate Sue Minter, aide to Becca Balint Natalie Silver, attorney and former Democrat Speaker of the House Shap Smith. But that $500K isn’t enough, so…
Non-profits want more lawyers to represent illegal immigrants – Vermont Legal Aid and other anti-ICE non-profits want more immigration lawyers to meet what they say is unprecedented demand, WCAX reports. A bill in the Legislature would use Vermont taxpayer funds to provide free legal representation to immigration detainees in federal court.
Bill seeks state funding to represent illegal immigrants in federal court – H.742, introduced in January by Rep. Leonora Dodge (D-Essex) would create a new state office dedicated to legal representation for illegal immigrants in federal court, Dave Soulia of FYI-VT.com reports.
And speaking of federal court, WCAX also reported Saturday, February 7 an active police presence and investigation at the federal courthouse in Burlington. They’re not saying what it’s about, but it’s not too much of a stretch to wonder if there have been threats to life and property at one of the federal government’s center of immigration law enforcement in Vermont.
Indivisible leader announces run for State House seat – Xavier Stephens, the local Indivisible leader, has announced he will run for the Newport City House seat. Indivisible is a prominent anti-Trump, anti-ICE organization. The Orleans-2 seat is now held by Republican Rep. Woodman Page.
Minneapolis killings condemned under the Golden Dome – The Vermont Senate voted 24-5 Friday to condemn the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents. Of the five no votes, several explained their votes on the record:
Sen. John Benson (R-Orange):
“The resolution as presented may be fine. However, I believe it is premature and that we should wait until the investigation is completed and the facts known before adoption of the resolution.”
Sen. and former county sheriff Robert Norris (R-Franklin):
“I am voting no because this resolution declares “extrajudicial killing” before investigations or courts have established the facts. The Legislature should not act as judge and jury in place of due process.”
Sen. Terry Williams (R-Rutland):
“I take concerns about public safety and civil liberties seriously. But this resolution does not advance accountability in a lawful or constructive way. The Vermont Legislature Does not have authority to direct, condemn, or interfere with federal law enforcement operations. Doing so blurs constitutional lines. invites litigation, and weakens-not strengthens-the rule of
law. Resolutions should reflect our values without misrepresenting our legal authority. When we use them to imply powers we do not have, or to pressure outcomes outside state jurisdiction, we risk misleading the public and politicizing matters better addressed through lawful oversight, the courts, or Congress.”