Resources for Rutland City when encountering U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officers

Many members of our community have expressed concerns and questions regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officers and what to do should if officers come to Rutland. These resources are provided to help residents understand their rights, find assistance, and be prepared. As immigration policies and enforcement practices continue to evolve, community members are encouraged to seek support from the trusted local organization and legal resources listed below.

Reporting Ice

Migrant Justice Emergency/Rapid Response
Phone: (802)-881-7229
Contact: Rachel Elliot, Migrant Justice: rachel@migrantjustice.net

What to do if someone is at immediate risk of being detained:

  1. Call Migrant Justice’s 24/7 Emergency line: (802) 881-7229
  2. Provide as much information as possible about what’s happening, where, when, and who is doing it.
  3. Please only make a report if you PERSONALLY observe ICE or Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
  4. If someone is not at immediate risk of being detained but you observe ICE, please submit a report to the VT Asylum Assistance Project at bit.ly/report-migra-vt

Learn more here: https://migrantjustice.net/resources.

Printable guide.

When reporting ICE activity, use ALERTA.

Do you know someone who needs an Immigration Attorney?

Vermont Immigration Legal Support Services

Additional USCRI resources:

How to prepare for Potential Detention

If you are worried about possible detention, here are some steps you can take to prepare yourself for this situation.

  • Collect and make copies of documents related to your legal status and resettlement to the United States. Leave these documents with a trusted friend or family member. Some documents may include:
    • I-94 (Arrival/Departure record)
    • Transportation Boarding Letter (or boarding foil)
    • Employment Authorization Document or “work permit” card
    • If you have applied for your green card, or asylum, evidence of your pending green card application or pending asylum application (such as your I-797C “Receipt Notice”)
    • If you have a legal representative, a copy of their signed Form G-28 (which tells the government they are representing you in your immigration case)
  • Make sure your trusted friend or family member also knows:
    • Your A-number
    • Your date of birth
    • The country of your birth
    • The country of your nationality
  • If you have a legal representative:
    • Ask for a business card or write down their phone number, and keep it with you at all times
  • Tell the immigration official you have refugee status, or a pending asylum case, and show proof of status. You should also tell them if you have any pending applications such as an adjustment of status (green card) application or family-based application. If you have an immigration lawyer, tell them you want to speak to your lawyer.
  • Make an emergency notification plan. If you are worried about being detained at an interview or appointment with immigration officials, make sure you have a plan for how you will tell your loved ones or trusted contacts what has happened to you when you do not have much time.
  • Provide your child’s school or day care with an emergency contact to pick up your child. Provide authorization in writing for your emergency contact to make medical and legal decisions for your child.
  • Consider downloading the ReadyNow! application on your phone. This app was created by immigration advocates, and it allows you to make emergency plans and set up a secure alert system in case you are detained by ICE.

Your Constitutional Rights

All persons in the United States have constitutional protections, including the right to remain silent when questioned or arrested by immigration officers. Being stopped by immigration officers or other law enforcement can be frightening, but it’s important to stay calm. During any encounter with law enforcement, it’s important to do the following:

  • Stay calm and don’t run, argue, resist, or fight the officer, even if you believe your rights are being violated or you are being treated unfairly. Keep your hands where police can see them and tell them if you need to reach into a glove compartment or for a wallet to show your papers.
  • Don’t lie about your status or provide false documents.
  • If you are pulled over in a traffic stop: Ask if the officer is from the police department or immigration. Immigration officers often identify themselves as “police,” but they are not police. Ask if they are from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP). If they are immigration officers, follow these guidelines about what information to provide.
    • If you are a U.S. citizen or have lawful immigration status: Show your passport, legal permanent resident card, work permit, or other documentation of your status. If you are over the age of 18, you should carry your papers with you at all times.
    • If you are undocumented: You have the right to remain silent and do not have to discuss your immigration or citizenship status with the police, immigration agents, or other officials. Anything you tell an officer can later be used against you in immigration court.
  • If an officer knocks on your door: Do not open the door. Teach your children not to open the door. Officers must have a warrant signed by a judge to enter your home. ICE “warrants” are not signed by judges; they are ICE forms signed by ICE officers and they do not grant authority to enter a home without consent of the occupant(s).
  • If you are outdoors and think you see immigration officers nearby: Move to a safe indoor space. If you are a U.S. citizen and feel safe to do so, record the activity with your phone or write down any relevant information about what you witness—ALWAYS being careful to not interfere or otherwise obstruct the operation.
  • DO NOT:
    • Post unverified information on social media.
    • Interfere with the investigation or otherwise put yourself in harm’s way.

You can view more information about your rights when encountering immigration officials at the Office of the Vermont Attorney General’s website (also available in Spanish).

What to know about immigration detention

If ICE detains you with other family members, they may separate you and send you to different detention centers. They may also move you to multiple detention centers, including to states far from where you live.

Your belongings, including identification documents, will be taken away. Memorize important phone numbers and send copies of your documents to someone you trust.

If you do not already have an attorney, you can request a list of free attorneys to contact from within the detention center. Insist that you want to speak with an attorney and request access to a phone number.

If you are detained by ICE, your friends and family can check the USCIS Online Detainee Locator System to locate you.

They can search by A-number and country of birth, or by biographical information. They should check daily; sometimes there are delays in getting the information on this website updated, especially when people are being moved from one detention center to another.

FROM ICE DETENTION CENTERS, YOU CAN DIAL 9233# TO REACH LEGAL SERVICES OR REPORT ABUSE.

What to know about re-vetting interviews in ICE detention

If you are detained by ICE, you might be questioned or re-interviewed about your refugee application, even if you already have a green card or applied for one. If you don’t speak English well, you have the right to an interview in your own language. If you have an attorney, you should inform ICE. If you have your lawyer’s phone number, they may be able to join the interview by phone. If you do not feel comfortable with the interview, you may be able to say you do not consent to the interview. Unfortunately, a lot of details about what is happening are still unclear or changing. It is hard to predict what is likely to happen if you do not consent to an interview.

During the re-interview, you may be asked many questions about why you left your home country or why you are afraid to return there. These questions may be very similar to questions you already answered when you were interviewed overseas. You should answer carefully and honestly, just as you did in your original interview(s).

Learn more.

Mutual Aid & Volunteer Opportunities with Organizations in Vermont

  • Ethiopian Community Development Council (Brattleboro/Bennington)
  • Central Vermont Refugee Action Network (Montpelier Area/Central VT)
    • Sign up to Volunteer Here or contact cvran910@gmail.com
  • Association of Africans Living in Vermont (Greater Burlington Area)
    • Contact: info@aalv-vt.org
  • Vermont Afghan Alliance – (Greater Burlington Area)
    • Contact: Lauren Pricer, Volunteer Coordinator, Lauren@vtafghanalliance.org
  • Vermont Interfaith Action (Statewide)
    • Contact: martha@viavt.org
  • Vermont Interfaith Action
  • Migrant Justice – (Statewide)
    • Sign up to get involved here.
    • General contact: info@migrantjustice.net
  • U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants – Vermont (Rutland/Greater Burlington Area)
    • Contact: Vermont@Refugees.org
    • Volunteer: Volunteer@refugees.org