Suspect in South Burlington ICE operation remains at large; Gov. calls agents’ tactics ‘totally unnecessary’
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Federal authorities say a 24-year-old Mexican citizen sought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an operation in South Burlington on Wednesday remains at large. The governor and local law enforcement agencies are criticizing federal authorities for the way the operation was carried out amid protests.
What began as a day of mostly peaceful protest ended in unrest after federal agents used chemical agents and flash bangs to disperse a crowd gathered outside a Dorset Street home.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says agents had been looking for Deyvi Daniel Corona-Sanchez. They say he entered the country illegally from Texas in October 2021 and was detained and removed the next year. But he was arrested by local police for an alleged DUI in Middlebury this past January. Middlebury Police on Thursday say they did not investigate Corona-Sanchez’s citizenship or immigration status because doing so would violate the state’s Fair and Impartial Policing Policy. Corona-Sanchez now faces charges of illegal reentry of a removed alien.
ICE was attempting to take Corona-Sanchez into custody on Wednesday when a person whom agents believed to be him crashed his car into several vehicles, fled on foot, and appeared to enter the Dorset Street home.
Rachel Elliott with Migrant Justice says their rapid response network mobilized after hearing about the incident. She says the day began with singing and chanting, but more protesters and law enforcement officers accumulated throughout the day. “The scene on the ground was pretty hectic. More officers than I’ve seen in one place here in Vermont,” Elliott said.
Tensions grew when a judge signed off on an arrest warrant, allowing federal agents to force their way through the crowd and break into the house. Corona-Sanchez was not inside, but agents identified and detained three people who Migrant Justice later identified as Christian Jerez-Andrade, 31, of Honduras; Camila Patin Patin, 20; and Jissela Johana Patin Patin, 31, both from Ecuador. None of them was named on the warrant. Migrant Justice officials added that Corona-Sanchez, the previous owner of the car involved in the initial crashes, was never in the area on Wednesday.
Protesters face off with federal agents in South Burlington on Wednesday.(WCAX)
As agents tried to leave, protesters blocked their vehicles. Federal agents then used chemical agents and flash bangs to break up the crowd. A protester said agents pulled masks and goggles off people in the crowd and sprayed pepper spray directly into their eyes.
Migrant Justice said federal agents crossed the line in how they handled the situation. “They were also incredibly violent, not only to the people inside that they ended up detaining, but also to the protesters outside,” Elliott said. She declined to comment on whether she thought any protesters crossed the line.
Police attempt to detain a protester in South Burlington on Wednesday.(WCAX)
Local police say they were pushed and spat on by people in the crowd.
Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George on Thursday condemned what she called federal agents’ intimidation tactics and use of force against unarmed protesters and said she is asking the U.S. Attorney’s Office to open an investigation.
“Based on my conversations with local law enforcement, and as confirmed by witness accounts, videos, and photographs, ICE chose escalation over professionalism at every turn. The result was chaos, harm, and fear visited on our community by a federal agency that appears more interested in spectacle than safety,” George said in a statement.
The Vermont State Police say they arrested two protesters on charges of disorderly conduct, including Robert Langellier, 34, and Joel Margulies, 30. A third person, Dillon Tanner, 33, was cited and released. All of the men are due in court on April 23.
Vermont lawmakers question whether state, local police violated anti-bias law
State and local police involvement in Wednesday’s chaotic immigration enforcement operation is raising questions about whether Vermont officers violated the state’s Fair and Impartial Policing Policy.
As federal agents waited Wednesday for a warrant to make an immigration arrest, a large contingent of local and state police gathered at the scene.
South Burlington Police reiterated that neither state troopers nor other local officers had been warned of the operation ahead of time, and that they did not assist ICE agents with taking anyone into custody. They called in state police along with officers from Burlington and Williston to help ensure the safety of protesters and of ICE officers.
“Our goal was really to maintain public peace and ensure that people that were there had the right to peacefully demonstrate,” South Burlington Police Chief William Breault said during a news conference Wednesday evening. “From the beginning, this plan was not executed to the standard that local law enforcement here in South Burlington — and I’m sure the chief from Burlington and the state police would agree — not how we would do things.”
Police arrest a protester in South Burlington on Wednesday.(WCAX)
Chris Brickell with the Vermont Criminal Justice Council said incidents like these showcase the fine line police are walking when it comes to following the state policy. “Them understanding what their communities want from them for law enforcement, and then a responsibility they have to other law enforcement agencies are operating in what appear to be a criminal law enforcement action,” he said.
State Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, P/D-Chittenden County, who was at the scene, said Wednesday’s events were traumatic for the community and that local police wearing masks or clashing with protesters could violate the policy. She is calling for a special panel to investigate whether local police broke the law. “There were others that were, it seemed, happily participating with what ICE was doing,” Vyhovsky said.
“This is the moment where we test all of the theories with what we were trying to do with Fair and Impartial Policing,” said Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden County.
Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex County, said that despite the policy, people who break state laws by impeding law enforcement need to be held accountable. “When law enforcement wants to talk to you, I know I’ve been stopped before. The first thing I do is put my hands on the steering wheel and comply,” he said.
An ICE attempt to take a man into custody in South Burlington on Wednesday included flash bangs and pepper spray used against protesters.(WCAX)
Gov. Phil Scott on Thursday also weighed in on ICE tactics, saying, “…what unfolded yesterday in South Burlington was totally unnecessary. In this difficult national climate, it’s the responsibility of law enforcement officials to do their jobs in a safe and lawful way. The actions of federal law enforcement, from outside the state yesterday, further demonstrates a lack of training, coordination, leadership, and outdated tactics which put both peaceful protesters and Vermont law enforcement in a difficult situation,” Scott, R-Vermont, said in a statement.
Scott said the tactics serve to further divide communities and law enforcement and do more harm than good. He added that he is talking with legislative leadership and will meet with members of the congressional delegation on Thursday afternoon.
Vermont’s congressional delegation released a joint statement saying, “Rather than notifying local and state law enforcement of a planned arrest, ICE created a crisis that resulted in them using flashbang grenades and tear gas against protestors. To make matters worse, they failed to arrest the person they were initially pursuing and instead arrested at least three individuals who were not named on the warrant.”
Any violations of the Fair and Impartial Policing Policy would be referred to the Criminal Justice Council. Multiple ongoing investigations from state and federal agencies are also underway, and legislators are pushing for more information.
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