Statement on ICE Raid in Cornwall

This past Saturday afternoon, federal ICE agents arrived at a private residence in West Cornwall where a crew of workers was replacing the roof of a typical Vermont farmhouse. The agents arrived in three unmarked vehicles, did not present identification, or provide an arrest or search warrant. They came onto private property without permission seeking to arrest non-specific members of the roofing crew. The homeowner repeatedly asked the federal agents to either present a valid warrant, or leave her property. The ICE agents ignored her requests and took two workers from her property, while others fled into the nearby woods.

Let me be clear: this ICE raid at a private residence and abduction of people without a legal warrant or public safety reason is unacceptable, and it is traumatic for everyone involved. The roofing crew members, the homeowner and her family, neighbors in Cornwall, and passers-by were all frightened and angered. The situation was chaotic, executed without proper communication, and resulted in an unsafe situation for workers on the roof and neighbors who were confronted by armed federal agents. It was unfathomable to everyone that the federal government could simply take people, clearly based on racial and ethnic profiling.

These repeated ICE raids throughout Vermont and the United States are a human rights issue, a public safety issue, and an economic issue. After this recent incident, two men who have families to support are in a detention center in Massachusetts, a Vermont-based company is without sufficient skilled workers, and a Vermont neighborhood has been disrupted by ICE again.

On Sunday afternoon, I visited the home to speak to both the homeowner and the roofing crew manager about the incident. The resident described the incident and showed me video of what happened, video where she clearly asks the ICE agents for both ID and a warrant, to no avail. The crew manager described how traumatized her workers were and how she and others were stepping up to try to finish the job with a smaller and more stressed crew.

The homeowner described to me how difficult it was to find a competent company to replace her roof, but she was happy with the quality of work and professionalism of this crew. Vermont and the country as a whole have a shortage of skilled home construction and repair professionals. These ICE raids are having a negative impact on an already stressed workforce, exacerbating the broad economic impact of the housing shortage.

The homeowner and I have been in contact with Migrant Justice who is supporting the men who were taken, Alex and Angel, and their families, and has found safe housing for other members of the crew. Unfortunately, Alex and Angel were quickly transported to Massachusetts, a long distance from their families, their work colleagues, and their community in Vermont.

Neighbors and supporters have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to support the families and legal defense of Alex and Angel. [Update: the fundraiser has met its goal & is now closed.] Community members are organizing, staying vigilant, and adding to a network of people who are working to prevent further ICE abductions.

As a state senator, I have no authority to prevent or stop ICE raids. However, this session, we passed several relevant bills to protect the rights of people in Vermont, including Proposal 4, the Equal Rights Amendment to the Vermont Constitution which includes protections based on race, ethnicity, and national origin; Act 87 which explicitly gives Vermonters the ability to sue the federal government for depriving them of rights; Act 150 which prohibits civil arrests in sensitive locations; and Act 125 to establish protocols for immigration enforcement at schools.

I will continue to follow this situation and work to support and represent all members of our community, including recent immigrants who should be welcome in our neighborhoods and workplaces throughout Vermont.