South Burlington

The ACLU of Vermont filed federal claims against ICE over a March 11 raid in South Burlington, alleging excessive force and unlawful detention of José Estrada Jerez, a U.S. citizen, and Jisella Johana Patin Patin, an asylum seeker. The raid, targeting another individual, resulted in the pair being injured and detained, with ICE agents using a battering ram and threatening tear gas. The claims are part of a nationwide ACLU campaign to hold ICE accountable for civil rights violations.

Colin Wesley Palmer denied charges of breaking a police van window and injuring a trooper during an ICE raid protest in South Burlington. His attorney declined a diversion offer, opting for public scrutiny of police conduct. The case involves claims of simple assault and disorderly conduct.

Frank Mazur writes to the editor disagreeing with Pope Leo’s criticism of U.S. immigration policy, arguing nations must enforce laws, secure borders, and protect citizens. He cites St. Thomas Aquinas’ views on citizenship and warns of risks from individuals not aligned with national values. Mazur advocates for a balanced policy upholding dignity, safety, and the rule of law.

Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese seeks court approval to sell Rice Memorial High School to a nonprofit, RMHS Inc., to protect the school from liquidation. The diocese, reorganizing finances under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, aims to preserve the school’s Catholic identity and operations ahead of the 2026-2027 academic year.

South Burlington Deputy Police Chief Sean Briscoe's body camera footage captured his experience during a tense standoff between law enforcement and protesters outside a Vermont home raided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The footage, part of over 100 hours released by local and state police, reveals mundane police interactions alongside public anger directed at officers, highlighting the complex dynamics of immigration enforcement and community tensions.

Beta Technologies plans to expand its South Burlington campus to 100 acres over the next decade, replacing its previous 40-acre master plan. The new 'adaptive campus master planning' approach aims to streamline development and bring more supply chain operations in-house, including manufacturing aircraft structures, motors, and batteries.

Volunteers in Vermont, organized through groups like Migrant Justice, have mobilized to counter U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions, including a March 2026 incident in South Burlington where ICE agents targeted a home. The group's rapid response network includes trained volunteers and over 3,500 alert subscribers, reflecting heightened concerns about immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.

Vermont State Police are seeking a protester accused of damaging a police van and injuring a trooper during a March 2025 ICE raid protest in South Burlington. Despite six protesters being arrested for disorderly conduct and assault, a prosecutor declined to charge any of them, citing police actions as 'unacceptable' but potentially legal.

Chittenden County's six CESA districts can avoid forced mergers by consolidating back-office services before merger studies fragment their collaboration. The CESA board, forming in July 2026, must prioritize these savings to negotiate future decisions from strength rather than financial pressure.

Vermont plans to build a 14-bed locked facility called the Green Mountain Youth Center in South Burlington to replace the closed Woodside Youth Rehabilitation Center, which faced abuse allegations and a $4.5 million lawsuit. State child advocate Matthew Bernstein criticizes the facility as a 'detention center' and argues for more investment in preventive programs rather than institutional solutions.