Dozens Protest at Scene of ICE Action in South Burlington

Updated at 2:46 p.m.

More than 100 people — chanting, singing and blowing whistles — surrounded a South Burlington home on Wednesday morning in an attempt to protect a man believed to be inside who was being sought by federal immigration authorities.

The crowd was peaceful, but some people taunted, screamed and yelled at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were awaiting approval of a criminal warrant to enter the home on Dorset Street. Half a dozen South Burlington police officers also responded for crowd control. Deputy Chief Sean Briscoe made clear his department was not participating in the immigration enforcement action.

At one point, two U.S. Border Patrol SUVs arrived on scene ferrying four agents, who said they had arrived to “keep things civil.” They eventually left.

By 1 p.m., as the incident continued, South Burlington police shut down the southbound lanes of traffic on Dorset Street.

Around 2:30 p.m., Vermont State Police were warning protesters to move away from the house, saying that a federal criminal warrant had been signed. Troopers were prepared to help remove the demonstrators so immigration agents could get into the home.

“At some point they are going to get into that house,” Lt. Cory Lozier, the Williston Barracks station commander, told Seven Days. “They’ll move whatever they need to to get in there.”

The mobilization, and subsequent standoff, was sparked by a car crash earlier on Wednesday. Around 7:30 a.m., federal agents attempted to pull over a man “related to a federal administrative warrant related to the individual’s immigration status,” according to South Burlington police. The man fled and allegedly hit multiple other vehicles, according to police, then ditched his damaged car in the middle of Dorset Street and ran into the nearby home.

“Agents surrounded the building while awaiting the approval of a federal criminal warrant,” the local police department said in a press release. South Burlington officers subsequently “responded and remain in the area with the purpose of ensuring the safety of federal law enforcement as well as the unimpeded ability for individuals to protest,” the department said.

Andrew Schumer, a neighbor, told Seven Days that he saw masked agents surround the building on Wednesday morning. His partner then reported the ICE activity to a hotline run by advocacy group Migrant Justice, Schumer said. The organization sent out alerts to its network, prompting the rapid response of dozens of people. Some carried signs or brought guitars and food. They sang folk songs of peace and chanted “ICE — ya basta! La migra — ya basta!” meaning “enough is enough.”

“I’m here to protect children and people that have every right to be here,” said Lazuli Vacherot, who lives in Burlington and said she was prepared to be arrested to defend her neighbors. “I think we need to come together more in support as a community. I’m ready and willing to put myself in front to protect anyone.”

Other demonstrators were more profane, hurling abuse at the agents, some of whom wore masks and tried to ignore the invectives. Many of the protesters carried whistles, which they blew next to the agents’ faces when they tried to make phone calls or speak with one another. At one point, an agent unholstered a can of pepper spray and held it in his hand but never used it.

Matt Durham told Seven Days he responded to the scene to stand by his neighbors after getting a text from a friend. He also responded when a similar call went out on Monday in Burlington.

“I feel like ICE agents have lost their credibility,” Durham said. “They’re just taking people living peacefully in the community, like farmworkers, construction workers.”

An administrator from the South Burlington School District arrived and spoke with the ICE agents and the local police officers. The protesters then formed a tunnel from the front door to a waiting car so that a young child inside the home could be ferried away. But after the crowd waited in formation for several minutes, the plan was abandoned and no child left.

A couple of hours later, the administrator returned and was able to take the child, covered by a white blanket, away from the scene. The home is about half a mile from South Burlington High School.

As the morning turned to afternoon, the crowd remained outside the house, waiting to see whether federal agents would try to detain the man reportedly within. More agents arrived, and some were involved in pushing and shoving with members of the crowd.

Vermont State Police troopers also responded to the scene.