State hearing on ICE raid
Vermont lawmakers scheduled a March 31 public hearing after a contested ICE operation in South Burlington — the raid has prompted anxiety among immigrant communities and calls for accountability. Local police have refused to release body‑camera footage and the Vermont State Police says it needs more time to review records, escalating demands for transparency at the hearing. (vtdigger.org) (vermontpublic.org)
The House and Senate Judiciary Committees will hold a joint public hearing March 31 at 5:00 p.m. in the State House chamber and the meeting will be livestreamed on the Legislature’s YouTube channel. (legislature.vermont.gov) (legislature.vermont.gov) The Burlington Police Department has logged 121 citizen complaints tied to the March 11 Dorset Street operation, and interim Chief Shawn Burke told councilors the department’s internal review aims to conclude within 30 days of the incident. (burlingtonvt.gov) (burlingtonvt.gov) The FBI has opened an investigation into alleged assaults on officers from the March 11 enforcement action, concurrent with the more-than-120 public complaints filed against Burlington police. (burlingtonfreepress.com) (burlingtonfreepress.com) Federal court records indicate ICE detained two Ecuadoran sisters (ages 20 and 31) and a 31‑year‑old Honduran man during the operation, and federal judges later ordered their release because the original warrant target was not found in the home. (wbur.org) (wbur.org) Migrant Justice activated its rapid‑response network and other community groups mobilized at the Dorset Street home, and the Burlington City Council has invited Migrant Justice, the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project and ACLU‑VT to a March 31 special meeting on the response. (vermontpublic.org) (vermontpublic.org) South Burlington Police say they are reviewing roughly 100 hours of body‑camera footage as part of their probe, while agencies cite statutory exemptions and an active FBI request when denying immediate public release; Vermont State Police has requested additional time under the state public records law, which allows a 10‑day extension for “unusual circumstances.” (msn.com) (msn.com)
