Victories in the Vermont State House! 2026 Legislative Recap

The machinery of mass deportation continues to tear apart families and terrorize communities. Even as the daily abuses of ICE fall out of the headlines, the pace of detentions continues to rise, with over 10,000 immigrants detained over the span of a recent five day period.

Vermont’s immigrant communities remain in the government’s crosshairs: this week, three construction workers were pulled over and pulled out of their car by ICE in Middlebury; just this morning, a father and husband in Essex left for work and never returned. He is now in ICE detention, facing deportation.

But immigrants are fighting back – and fighting to bring their loved ones home. When members of the community are detained, they do not face their detentions alone. Migrant Justice supports those targeted by ICE to stop their deportations and win their freedom. This past weekend, we celebrated the release of two fathers who had been detained by ICE in June and welcomed them home to their families

This past legislative session, we also brought the fight against the deportation machine to the Vermont legislature. From January through May, the immigrant leaders of Migrant Justice were a constant presence in the halls of the State House. We worked in coalition with organizations from around Vermont to bolster state protections for immigrants against the federal government’s attacks.

Last summer, Migrant Justice formed a legislative coalition with the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont (ACLU-VT), the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) to plan for the 2026 legislative session. With the support of many community groups around the state, we advanced an ambitious agenda. By the end of the session, we had notched three major victories:

1. Act 150 (S.209) prohibits immigration detentions in certain locations. Building off our successful 2022 law kicking ICE out of courthouses, we expanded the list of “sensitive locations” where immigration arrests are restricted, including schools, state buildings, libraries, shelters, healthcare facilities, and places of worship.
2. Act 87 (H.849) allows people to sue federal officials in state court for violations of constitutional rights. As ICE and Border Patrol’s rights violations increase to a fever pitch, we have opened a new pathway to hold government agents accountable and seek redress.
3. $200,000 in the state budget for immigrant legal defense. For the first time in history, Vermont has designated state funds for immigration attorneys. This money will result in more people winning their freedom and stopping their deportations – and it sets a precedent for a greater state commitment in future years.

These new laws are important steps towards protecting immigrants in Vermont as we continue to organize for human rights. Thank you to all those who fought to make them a reality.