The ACLU of Vermont and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project have announced a new partnership with the Habeas Project of New England.
The Habeas Project is a regional coalition founded in 2025 that helps immigrants facing unlawful detention. It trains and helps federal litigators work with immigration attorneys to secure the release of immigrants detained by ICE.
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute Senior Immigration Attorney Christy Rodriguez says ICE has been shuttling detainees across New England “often in secret and largely to separate people from their legal counsel... Bringing Vermont litigators ... into our network is an important next step for our coalition.”
The Habeas Project cites state and federal data indicating that ICE has detained more than 900 people in Vermont since January 2025.