Immigration enforcement surged in 2025

A Washington deportation‑defense hotline logged more than 10,000 calls in 2025 — over double its 2024 volume — signaling a statewide surge in reports of enforcement activity. (opb.org)) On March 11, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed an operation at a South Burlington home that resulted in three people being detained and drew sustained protests on Dorset Street. (vermontpublic.org)) The South Burlington scene included road closures, multiple vehicle collisions, and a protracted standoff that attracted more than 100 on‑site protesters and prompted criticism from statewide elected officials. (vermontbiz.com)) State and local officials scheduled public review and testimony in late March 2026, with a Vermont legislative forum and a Burlington City Council special meeting slated for March 31 to hear from community groups and legal advocates. (vtdigger.org)) On‑the‑ground rapid‑response and legal coordination in Vermont mobilized Migrant Justice volunteers and lawyers from the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project and other partners, with VAAP’s March 25 newsletter documenting that those groups coordinated legal support during the South Burlington action. (migrantjustice.net)) Fundraising and legal‑defense capacity expanded after 2025 enforcement increases: the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund reported raising more than $850,000 toward a $1 million goal since its May 8, 2025 launch, and VAAP received earlier grants to expand detention defense services. (vermontbiz.com)) At least one person detained in the March 11 action, Cristian Humberto Jerez Andrade, was later granted bond by an immigration judge, while other detainees filed petitions for release and continued to receive legal advocacy from Vermont organizations. (mychamplainvalley.com))