Immigrant‑justice toolkits shared
The Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice circulated resources and a Migration Policy Institute report to mobilize resistance against state‑local pushback on ICE, and the USCRI highlighted Vermont efforts to include refugees with disabilities during Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month — a mix of policy briefs and on‑the‑ground case examples. (x.com) (x.com)
Migration Policy Institute published a Policy Beat on Feb. 26, 2026 documenting that recent ICE enforcement escalations have prompted a patchwork of state and local responses — including new legislation in California, Colorado and Illinois that aims to limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. (migrationpolicy.org 1) (migrationpolicy.org 2) Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice is a Massachusetts‑based pro bono legal clinic that focuses on asylum seekers and detained families and lists co‑founder Jill Seeber among its leadership; the group regularly partners with regional legal networks on rapid‑response materials for defense and advocacy. (mabelcenter.org) USCRI’s March 23, 2026 post “No Two Hands Sign the Same” recounts a Vermont‑resettled client with a hearing disability and details how USCRI Vermont worked with local Deaf and Hard of Hearing partners to identify the client’s native sign language rather than assuming American Sign Language. (refugees.org) USCRI Vermont is the state’s sole resettlement agency, serving roughly 350 clients per year with a staff of about 30, and the office has faced a nearly $1.24 million federal funding shortfall that represented about 90% of its budget in 2025. (heartsyouhold.org) (refugees.org) Toolkits circulating among advocates emphasize specific local‑level tactics: municipal ordinances to bar ICE access to government property or data, town‑level noncooperation resolutions, expansion of language‑access services, and targeted talking points for driver’s‑license and occupational‑licensing campaigns — approaches detailed in MPI’s enforcement analysis and in state advocacy toolkits. (migrationpolicy.org) Vermont’s recent legislative response includes S.56, enacted as Act 29 on May 21, 2025, which creates a study committee to evaluate establishing an Office of New Americans and directs consultation with community groups, the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, and state agencies on recommended structure and funding. (legiscan.com) (legislature.vermont.gov) On the ground in Vermont, named partners and entry points cited in public materials include USCRI Vermont in Colchester, ECDC Vermont (rural resettlement support), the Association of Africans Living in Vermont, the Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council, and the Vermont Center for Independent Living — all of which have been documented providing language, housing, employment, or disability‑access supports. (refugees.org)
