Nacho and Heidi are not alone!
Posted Wed, 06/18/2025 - 5:08pm
On June 16th, less than two days after the violent and unlawful detention of Nacho and Heidi, hundreds gathered in front of the Vermont State House in an emergency rally demanding freedom for the Migrant Justice leaders. In an emotionally-charged event, loved ones spoke out against the government’s cruel separation of families as chants reverberated through the streets of the state capital: “Nacho, Heidi, no están solos!” You are not alone!
After being pulled over by Border Patrol agents while delivering food to local farms, Nacho and Heidi were detained without cause. As the two exercised their right to remain silent and questioned the legal authority for the stop, agents broke their car window and pulled them out of their vehicle. Border Patrol’s own statement admits that agents did not have any information about the community leaders’ nationalities or immigration histories prior to their detainment – a blatant admission that their actions were motivated by little more than racial profiling and an abuse of authority.
Nacho and Heidi’s brave defense of their rights in the face of violent intimidation by armed agents has allowed them to bring the Trump administration to court. With a legal team led by the Center for Justice Reform and Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, the Migrant Justice leaders have filed a petition to challenge the constitutionality of their detention. The legal strategy is already having an impact: Vermont’s federal court has already accepted jurisdiction over the case and forbid the government from transferring Heidi and Nacho out of state!
At the rally, speaker after speaker highlighted Nacho and Heidi’s fearless leadership advancing the struggle for human rights in Vermont, from winning protections from police discrimination, to expanding access to higher education and housing, to campaigning for Milk with Dignity. At just 18-year-old, Heidi’s impact as a young leader was on full display when Regina, a 10-year-old member of the Migrant Justice community, said through tears: “Heidi is an inspiration to me. When I grow up, I want to be just like her.”
As we fight to free Nacho and Heidi from detention, we must take action to support all those at risk of deportation. Wuendy, a farmworker and Migrant Justice member, has fought for years to stop ICE’s attempts to deport her and separate her from her family. Despite a pending application for a “stay of removal,” Wuendy has been told to appear at the ICE office in St. Albans, VT on the morning June 20th for an appointment where she may be detained. Two months ago, 100 people accompanied Wuendy to her last appointment, and she walked out a free woman.
6/20 at 10am: show ICE that we have Wuendy’s back! Join us outside her ICE appointment (64 Gricebrook Road, St. Albans, VT) to say “not one more deportation!