U.S. Customs and Border Patrol called State Police and turned over the wanted man.
Iranian doctor from Atlanta remains jailed for illegal entry in VT
Court papers note that while she has strong support from a U.S. Congressman in Georgia, Ghasemi has provided false information, including a bogus date of birth, to both the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Probation Office.
Appeals court reverses Mahdawi decision- says judge overstepped authority in deportation case
Mahdawi still free, but now must argue case in immigration courts.
ICE looked at Derby for office space. Vermonters in the Kingdom are asking what that means.
A federal notice names Derby among sites ICE is scouting for office space. It surfaces as two ICE shootings in Maine and Texas sharpen nerves along the border.
60 people charged in illegal border crossings
Two of the cases include illegal crossings at the bi-national Haskell Free Library in Derby Line.
‘Us Vs. Them’ mentality threatens U.S., Scott tells new citizens
In my opinion, one of the greatest threats we face as a country isn’t from outside our borders, it’s right here from within,” Scott said. “The ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality, the idea that consensus and compromise are somehow unacceptable or unattainable.”
BREAKING: Colin Wesley Palmer cited for smashing police van window at anti-ICE protest; glass blinded trooper
Police credit a large public response that helped identify Palmer as the person that seriously injured the state trooper.
Newport yet to gain control of EB-5 ‘pit,’ must deal with contamination
“I prefer to call it the development opportunity block,” the Newport mayor said. “But we all hate it, and we all want to know what’s going to happen to it.”
Feds put up $1 million cash to buy Newport’s Pit, relic of EB-5 scandal
The property remained vacant following what became known as the Kingdom Con Ponzi scheme.
Mahdawi ordered deported – but staying pending appeal
Neither Mahdawi nor the ACLU mention state police citing his attempt to return from an overseas trip over a decade ago with illegal drugs and a large amount of cash in his possession. Nor do they mention the police report (cited and brushed aside by the federal judge in his decision) about his alleged effort to work for a Vermont gun repair shop, also over a decade ago, citing his expertise acquired in his homeland.
A new door, but cross-border friendship continues at the Haskell
“Even if our two countries are now like an old married couple who sleep in separate rooms and use separate doors, no matter which door we use it is inside that we will as always meet in friendship.”
The corridor that never closed: Two centuries of immigrant smuggling at Lake Memphremagog
Long before the U.S.-Mexico border dominated American conversations about immigration enforcement, a cold lake in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom had already been the site of one of the country’s longest-running and least-told human smuggling histories.
S.227 would restrict school cooperation with immigration enforcement
Vermont lawmakers are considering a bill that would require schools to adopt immigration protocols restricting when school officials may cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and when law enforcement officers may access nonpublic areas of school buildings.
New Jersey man gets 18 months for human smuggling
The U.S. Border Patrol found Tyshan Murray, 45, with four adults and five children stuffed in his Nissan Murano in Richford during a traffic stop about 1 a.m. Sept. 8, 2024. Two young children were located in the rear cargo compartment sitting on luggage without seatbelts or safety seats, the Border Patrol reported.
Soulia: Three ounces of deadly radiation and our open border
Three ounces destroyed a Brazilian neighborhood. The people who study this threat for a living don’t lose sleep over a missile from Tehran. They lose sleep over a shielded canister the size of a thermos that nobody screened.
Breaking: Second defendant arrested in major Vermont smuggling case
The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Armando Paulino Estudillo, 35, in Lancaster, N.H. as part of a smuggling conspiracy that led to the arrest of a leader with Migrant Justice in Burlington last week.
Transgender shooter in NH Border Patrol incident due in court
Blu Zeke Daly, 26, also known as Cullan Zeke Daly, of Manchester, N.H. is facing felony charges of attempted murder of a federal officer and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon in connection with the shooting in Pittsburg, east of Canaan, Vt., federal court records note.
Feds arrest Migrant Justice leader on 9 felony counts
Feds say he Migrant Justice leader they call Nacho smuggled people across international borders and fraudulently obtained Vermont identification documents for people living outside Vermont.
Soulia: VT farms, migrant workers, and the visa problem
Behind the headlines, protests, and growing anxiety is a more basic question: how does Vermont’s dairy industry rely on migrant labor in the first place — and why doesn’t federal visa law actually fit the job?
Burlington mayor clamps down on online criticism of police role in ICE raid
Without local police on site, the mayor warned, the situation could have spiraled into the kind of unchecked escalation seen in Minneapolis during past ICE engagements, where absent municipal support reportedly contributed to extreme violence and civilian deaths.
Illegal immigrant identified in South Burlington
Arrested after day-long stand-off
ICE raids South Burlington home
As the wanted car fled, it collided with a vehicle traveling south.
Noem ousted as secretary of Homeland Security
Sen. Pete Welch said Noem’s leaving office is overdue.
Klar: Biden sabotaged efforts to stanch flood of illegal immigration
Now Democrats copy his misleading accusations that Republicans were the root of the problem.
Soulia: ICE arrests dangerous criminals in VT
Documented arrests in Vermont show that ICE operations here have involved individuals with serious criminal histories.
Homegrown groups call on Canada to safeguard security, combat transnational crime
The ICAIE also notes that the greatest number of illegal border crossers coming from Canada to the U.S. were apprehended by U.S. immigration officials in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Swanton Sector in Vermont and upstate New York, which The Center Square has reported for years. It also notes that the majority of illicit drugs seized at the U.S.-Canada border were by U.S. authorities in the CBP Buffalo, Detroit and Swanton sectors coming from Canada, The Center Square has also reported for years.
Two men indicted in transnational human smuggling and money laundering scheme
According to court documents, Francisco Antonio Luna Rosado, 27, an illegal alien from the Dominican Republic, and Jesus Hernandez Ortiz, 37, of Puerto Rico, are charged with one count of conspiracy to illegally bring aliens to the United States and 12 counts of illegally bringing aliens to the United States for the purpose of private financial gain related to a Sept. 17, 2023, smuggling event. Luna Rosado is also charged with two counts of transactional money laundering for engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from smuggling activities.
Anti-ICE action widespread in Vermont
“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.”
Somali cabbie living in Burlington, sentenced in 2019 for immigration fraud, detained by ICE
Hussien’s supporters on Reddit are asking the public to support his family: “Hussien Noor Hussien has been living in the US for 22 years. He used a false name to escape Somalia, which hurt no one, and served his time for that fraud after he was caught. A few weeks ago, ICE abducted him from his cab at the Burlington airport and imprisoned him at the NW correctional facility in St Albans.”
Illegal immigrant with 25 convictions awaits deportation from VT
The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Benjamin Paul Sheldon Schooner, 35, of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada near the Haskell Library and Opera House in Derby Line on Christmas Day about 12:20 a.m., records show.
Vermont Senate would ban ICE masks, some arrests
One bill prohibits arrests for civil violations – including immigration violations – in ‘sensitive locations’. The other requires all law enforcement – including federal officers – to wear name tags and not wear masks.
Illegal Venezuelan immigrant who led 4 others over border into NEK is jailed
An illegal immigrant from Venezuela, who federal officials claim led four other undocumented aliens over the international border into Vermont during Christmas week, will remain in custody while his federal criminal case is resolved in court in Burlington.
Repeat deportee with lengthy rap sheet claims death threat at Haskell Library
An illegal immigrant, who has been deported twice previously due to rejected claims that his life was in jeopardy from a Canadian street gang, has been busted again in Derby Line, federal court records show.
Repeat border crosser arrested near Williston restaurant
An illegal immigrant from Mexico, found unlawfully in the United States for a third time in just over a year, has been arrested in Vermont by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of an unrelated criminal investigation, records show.
CBP apprehends 7 in Derby Line, North Troy over Christmas holiday
U.S. Border Patrol apprehended seven people who unlawfully crossed the Canadian border in North Troy and Derby Line between December 23 and December 25, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced.
Illegal alien busted at Lamell Lumber sentenced for bogus immigration papers
An illegal alien from Mexico, who authorities say used counterfeit immigration documents to get hired at a Chittenden County business, has been sentenced to five months in federal prison for unlawful reentry into the United States after being deported multiple times.
Winooski mom and child caught at border with bogus papers
The illegal possession of fraudulent documents, including a bogus social security card, is the reason a Winooski mother and her 7-year-old son were detained at the International border over the Thanksgiving holiday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Friday.
Swanton store operator detained by ICE had criminal record, entered U.S. illegally: ICE
Patel was a habitual criminal offender in India, ICE said.
Lawmaker describes ‘troubling encounter’ between ICE and local store operator
The owner’s wife told Luneau that her husband had been taken for questioning in what she believed was a case of mistaken identity.
Illegal immigrant from Brazil gets 9 months for illegal gun possession
Wanted for rape in Brazil, he said he didn’t want the guns for drug crime, but for target shooting with his brother-in-law.
Feds bust illegal immigrant with 51 visits to the U.S.
Charged with bringing 9 more aliens this week into Jay
Customs & Immigration training building tagged with threatening messages
The USCIS Training Facility at 237 Harvest Lane serves as a pivotal center for training and education related to U.S. immigration and citizenship services.
Senate ally of Mahdawi led profane anti-ICE chant at rally
According to several witnesses watching from a nearby hotel porch, including Chester GOP Chair Roy Spaulding, Sen. White repeatedly spoke the phrase into a microphone during the rally, encouraging others to join in – which many did.
Michigan woman charged in Vermont cross-border child smuggling operation
Attorney General Pam Bondi, flanked by federal prosecutors, including Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher of Vermont, outlined on Thursday several recent significant efforts to combat human trafficking and smuggling along the international borders, including an important felony indictment in the Green Mountain State.
AG Clark ‘plays no role in immigration enforcement’ while issuing anti-ICE press release
Clark’s latest anti-Trump press release noted the detaining for possible deportation of illegal immigrants living in ‘the Northshire,’ an unofficial name for the Bennington County area. Press reports say that on August 25 ICE detained two Jamaican women working as home health aides and living in Manchester.
Illegal immigrants busted in Alburgh linked to international fraud group
Drove SUV on railroad into Vermont, police say
Vermont among 20 states suing Feds over Victims of Crime Act grant restrictions
The Justice Department has declared that states will not be able to access Victims of Crime Act funding unless they agree to support the administration’s immigration enforcement.
Scott letter to Bondi: You’re wrong, VT is not a sanctuary state
Vermont: illegal sanctuary state, or complying with federal law?
AG Bondi immigration letter to Scott threatens funding cuts, criminal charges
“This ends now,” Bondi said in a letter to Scott and other governors.
Concerns expressed about Migrant Justice soccer tournament Saturday
The reader said the event draws hundreds of Mexican and Central American farmworkers from Vermont and surrounding states, many of whom are in the country without legal documentation and may be driving without licenses or insurance.
Fourth alleged smuggler busted in dramatic Vermont-to-Quebec U-Haul human smuggling operation
A recent human smuggling case that directly impacts Vermont’s border communities made headlines when a U‑Haul truck packed with 44 migrants was intercepted just north of Derby Line crossing INTO Canada.
Vermont a sanctuary state, DOJ confirms
“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” said Bondi.
As Haitians flee thru VT into Quebec, illegal entry into Swanton sector way down
Into U.S., border jumpers came from 24 countries; into Quebec, mostly from Haiti.
A day fishing becomes international incident on Vermont’s Canadian border
The incident has sparked outrage in Quebec and raised questions here in Vermont, not just about jurisdiction, but about the nature of reality itself.
‘Family man’ gets 5-year prison term for 22 pounds of heroin in Highgate
U.S. Border Patrol Agents arrested Freddy J. Rodriguez, 40, of West Warwick, R.I. with 10 kilograms of heroin on Sept. 19, 2023 as he prepared a nighttime load in a kayak to head north from Highgate on Lake Champlain to meet another vessel coming south from Canada.
Page: When the undocumented go missing
Every year, thousands of people disappear while attempting to cross borders or while living without legal documentation in the United States. These disappearances represent more than statistics—they are families torn apart, communities left searching for answers, and lives lost to a system that often fails to protect the most vulnerable.
Thousands of Haitian asylum-seekers may be headed for Vermont
Montreal expects over 21,000 Haitians to seek asylum from U.S. – officials anticipate some heading to Vermont
Migrant Justice leader from Milton remains jailed in Border Patrol case
Migrant Justice has claimed Heidi “Fabi” Perez Alfaro, 18, a recent Milton High graduate, and her stepfather, Jose Ignacio “Nacho” De La Cruz, 29, had been delivering meals to farm workers in Richford when they were stopped about noon Saturday June 14 by a U.S. Border Patrol Agent.
Maland bust leads to prison term for fentanyl dealer
Bear Mountain Road in North Troy is known for both human and drug smuggling almost on a daily basis.
Migrant Justice leader linked to earlier smuggling case, feds say
The Border Patrol asked about his citizenship and De La Cruz began speaking rapidly and in a low voice that the agent could not understand. De La Cruz was asked to slow his speech, but he didn’t comply and the agent believed he was being evasive.
Klar: Immigration by the numbers
Border-crossings plummet, public approval rockets.
Border Patrol agents train on drone tech, Migrant Justice leaders detained
“Using unmanned aerial systems provides our agents with better situational awareness in difficult terrain, which can be critical in saving lives or preventing illegal activity,” a Border Patrol spokesperson said.
Quebec father enlists son in smuggling effort
A Quebec father who attempted to use his 18-year-old son to help smuggle him illegally into the United States near the Haskell Library and Opera House in Derby Line netted both of them short jail terms and trips back home.
Law enforcement agencies in 40 states partner with ICE program – but not Vermont
Florida law enforcement tops in U.S. in ICE participation. Even its universities are involved. Vermont is at the other extreme.
List or no list, DHS pushing on against sanctuary jurisdictions, Noem tells Fox News
The 3,000 member National Sheriffs Organization said the list was published without their knowledge and offers little direction on how sheriffs should proceed.
BREAKING: State of Vermont cited by Department of Homeland Security as ‘sanctuary jurisdiction defying federal immigration law’
The entire state of Vermont and the cities of Burlington, Montpelier, and Winooski have been labeled as ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ by the department of Homeland Security, and now face federal funding cuts under Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown.
Rally for African incarcerated by ICE
As NEKASAN members waited outside, they were informed only that “things have changed.” Lamidi, it turns out, was handcuffed upon entering the building and taken into custody.
Vermont third in northern border encounters during Biden admin
Vermont had 59,298 encounters during that period, compared to just 82 in New Hampshire, which has a narrow border with Canada and no cross-border interstate highway. Vermont has two interstate crossings.
Most fentanyl and terrorists enter through northern border, FBI Director Patel says
The majority of illegal border crossers were reported in New York, Washington and Vermont, The Center Square reported. In addition to arresting human traffickers and violent criminals, U.S. authorities have arrested alleged Islamic terrorists, including an Iranian with terrorist ties living in Canada and a Canadian woman who tried to poison President Donald Trump, The Center Square reported.
Mahdawi praises Vermont support, says Trump administration ‘kidnapped’ him
Palestian anti-Israel activist claims he was ‘kidnapped’ by the Trump administration.
Mahdawi headline speaker at creation of Immigrant Legal Defense Fund
The fund hopes to raise $1 million to offer legal services to immigrants subject to deportation and other federal actions.
At 2019 border crossing, Mahdawi found with LSD, meth, mushrooms
At odds with Judge Crawford’s dismissal of the drugs found in Mahdawi’s car as ‘prescription medication,’ the CBP report describes small amounts of LSD, mushrooms with opiates, and meth – as well as a couple of empty prescription bottles.
Illegal immigrant sneaks across border with loaded gun and silencer near Haskell Library
Julio Cesar Romero-Paredes, 46, will continue to be detained pending his sentencing in U.S. District Court by Judge Mary Kay Lanthier in Rutland on Aug. 27.
Two from Ukraine arrested for border-jumping
The U.S. Border Patrol named Mykhailo Ivanchyn, 21, and Ihor Zelskyi, 27, in a criminal complaint with illegally entering the United States at Richford early Monday.
Governor says of Franklin County immigration ‘raid’ was a chase, BP arrests justified
Scott also reiterated that he appreciates immigrant labor when the law isn’t broken.
‘Migra, migra,’ Berkshire farm workers yell when they see Border Patrol, eyewitness says
“We saw a bunch of men running, yelling, ‘Migra, Migra,'” Reighley said.
Border czar Tom Homan asks angry media, ‘where were you?’
“Maybe we gotta hold off on some of the deportation operation we’re doing. But it’s not gonna stop us from seeking these people now, arresting them and take them off the street to United States while we’re waiting for the courts to decide.”
Farm workers mistaken for border crossers prompted call to Border Patrol
Border Patrol was called after people with backpacks emerged from the woodline. In fact, they were farm workers.
BREAKING: Feds raid biggest dairy farm in Vermont, arrest migrant workers
Border Patrol saw three migrant workers walking down the driveway on the premises of the farm. The agents then pursued the migrants through the milking parlor.
CVU students targeted for deportation
95.8% of all otherwise “inadmissible aliens” who scheduled appointments using the app were simply issued a “Notice to Appear” and then released into the country.
Migrant Justice claims 2-3 ICE arrests per week, longer detention
The detainees are not gang members, as Vermont’s migrant population is not gang-connected, she said. Most of the detainees were arrested for failure to make court dates or otherwise comply with federal law and regulations.
New Yorkers, citizens of India charged in illegal entry into Vermont
Surveillance cameras later captured several individuals running toward the stopped vehicle in a gas station parking lot.
CBP cites security concerns, defends Haskell access changes
Restricting access to the Haskell Free Library has sparked concern in communities on both sides of the international boundary.
Church declares itself an immigration sanctuary
Church officials claim immigration enforcement equates to hate and “othering.”
Border patrol officials say they still need help controlling the northern border
As southern border crossings plummet, northern border patrol direct hiring for help
Soulia: H.298: Bad-faith bill that shields illegal aliens while pretending to follow the law
H.298 will classify Vermont as a full-fledged sanctuary state, potentially costing it millions in federal law enforcement funding.
Swanton Sector border crossings have dropped since November
India led all October – January border encounters with 1,282.
Gunned down Veteran Border Patrol Agent from VT laid to rest with military honors
Besides his federal co-workers from the Green Mountain State, Maland also was honored with a delegation of troopers from the Vermont State Police led by Lt. Andy Jenson, commander at the Derby barracks.
Video: Watch Kristi Noem’s Warning ad to illegal immigrants
This series of ads will run on radio, broadcast, and digital, in multiple countries and regions in various dialects. Ads will be hyper-targeted, including through social media, text message and digital to reach illegal immigrants in the interior of the United States, as well as internationally.
Klar: Vermont tutors illegal aliens on how to slip the grip of ICE
Vermont, an outspoken bastion of sanctuary protections, has created a Task Force on the Federal Transition Panel.
Woman, unborn child died wading river into U.S. – smuggler charged
Feds say Uribe-Tobar smuggled a pregnant woman, A.V.-F., from Canada for $2,500, by instructing her to wade through the frigid Great Chazy River in darkness.
Trump AG cuts DOJ funding to sanctuary states and cities – impact on Vermont?
The State of Vermont, municipalities and non-profits now receive $65.4 million in DOJ grant funding. Burlington alone has five grants totaling about $500,000.
Deportation blitz could strain state prisons, officials say
Usually up to 20 detainees from Immigration and Customs Enforcement are held in state prisons on a given day, sometimes more.
Illegal alien busted at border with gun, suppressor, handcuff keys pleads innocent
Border Patrol: An illegal immigrant was carrying a fully loaded firearm, a gun suppressor, extra ammunition and handcuff keys when he unlawfully entered the US.
Homan: Deportation plan to prioritize national security threats, violent criminals
The fact that millions of people illegally entered the U.S. and nine out 10 are ordered to be removed necessitates “a mass deportation operation,” he said. “Are these dirty words? No. On the end of historic mass illegal immigration with nine out of 10 getting orders for removal, there has to be a mass deportation program.
Swanton, northern border illegal immigrant encounters set new record high
In fiscal 2024, agents reported 198,929 illegal border crosser apprehensions and encounters, the greatest number in U.S. history, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Venezuelan man charged after heavily armed illegal border crossing in Derby Line
A search of the motorcycle revealed a loaded Walther P22 pistol, multiple magazines containing approximately 80 rounds of ammunition, a suspected suppressor, handcuff keys, knives, a collapsible baton, zip ties, and cell phones, authorities said.
Newport family’s game cameras record illegal border crossers
“This is an everyday thing,” LeBlanc said, expressing concern for his family’s safety on their farm.
Video shows state trooper detaining reporter outside Border Patrol chief’s house
Why was O’Keefe prevented by a state trooper from approaching Robert Garcia’s home? Should Vermont’s status as a Sanctuary State affect VSP intervening on behalf of the Border Patrol?
Greatest number of suspected terrorists apprehended at northern border
Since fiscal 2021, federal agents have apprehended 1,746 known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) nationwide, the greatest number in U.S. history. The majority, 1,089, were caught at the northern border.








