The first major confrontation between ICE and protesters in Vermont. A daylong standoff ended with federal agents removing three people from a South Burlington home — none of whom were the person identified in ICE’s warrant.

Timeline

• March 11, 2026 (early AM): ICE attempts to arrest Deyvi Daniel Corona-Sanchez, 24, a Mexican national who had been previously removed in 2022 and reentered
• ~8:30 AM: Migrant Justice receives emergency call; activists begin arriving at the home
• Daytime: Standoff develops between ICE agents and community members blocking access
• Evening: Federal agents deploy pepper spray and flashbangs to disperse protesters; clashes between police and demonstrators
• Late evening: ICE removes 3 people — but NOT their stated target, who remains at large

Outcome

• All 3 people detained were released by a federal judge (last released March 20, 2026)
• Governor Phil Scott called ICE tactics “totally unnecessary”
• Protesters told lawmakers that Vermont State Police used excessive force (April 1 testimony)
• ICE and police face ongoing scrutiny from legislature

Protests and Response

• March 13: Large march through downtown Burlington; ~30 students walk out of South Burlington High School
• Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak issued formal statement opposing ICE enforcement in the city
• WBUR and national media covered the story

Significance

This was a botched operation that became a political disaster for ICE:

1. They didn’t get their target
2. They detained the wrong people
3. They used military-grade crowd control on Vermont protesters
4. A federal judge released everyone they detained
5. VTDigger headline: “ICE took the wrong people — and got called on it. A reckoning may be coming.”

Sources:

• Vermont Public — The South Burlington ICE raid explained
• Vermont Public — What we know 2 weeks after the ICE raid
• VTDigger — Gov. Scott slams ICE agents’ tactics
• VTDigger — Federal judge releases third detainee
• VTDigger — ICE took the wrong people
• Vermont Public — Protesters say police used excessive force
• Seven Days — South Burlington ICE Raid Triggers Large Protest