February 9, 2026

Reopening Intake & Distinguishing "Rapid Response"

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve VT immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us: www.vaapvt.org. Donate to VAAP Want to read this newsletter in Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Dari, or Portuguese? Visit www.vaapvt.org/newsletters and select your language in the top right corner. ¿Desea leer este boletín en español, francés, criollo haitiano, dari o portugués? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters y seleccione su idioma en la esquina superior derecha. Quer ler este boletim em espanhol, francês, crioulo haitiano, dari ou português? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters e selecione seu idioma no canto superior direito. Voulez-vous lire ce bulletin en espagnol, français, créole haïtien, dari ou portugais? Visitez www.vaapvt.org/newsletters et choisissez votre langue en haut à droite. Vle li bilten sa a an panyòl, fransè, kreyòl ayisyen, dari oswa pòtigè? Ale sou www.vaapvt.org/newsletters epi chwazi lang ou anlè adwat. آیا می‌خواهید این خبرنامه را به اسپانیایی، فرانسوی، کریول هایتی، دری یا پرتغالی بخوانید؟ به www.vaapvt.org/newsletters بروید و زبان خود را در گوشهٔ بالا سمت راست انتخاب کنید. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR On February 2, VAAP trained 16 legal advocates at its pilot VAAP Academy, including incoming VAAP attorney-fellows Maggie Frye and Erin Jacobsen, as well as incoming Vermont Legal Aid community lawyers Daniel Schmidt and Devanne O'Brien. We'll advertise the next Academy at www.vaapvt.org/calendar. New U.S. Census estimates show Vermont's population declined again last year—posting the largest percentage drop with more than 1,800 residents lost—alarming economists who study the causal relationship between declining population and rising unaffordability.  At the same time, ICE detained 70,766 people pending civil immigration removal proceedings nationwide, of whom 74.2% had no criminal conviction—including about 900 people held in Vermont prisons and scores of Vermonters held out of state. Many people are detained illegally, and detention conditions are so unliveable that people are giving up their legal claims and defenses before ICE is held accountable in court. Less than half of Vermonters in immigration removal proceedings have access to our strong but small network of immigration lawyers—who are now juggling the emerging needs of the 30,000 total foreign born Vermonters experiencing risk. ICE detentions are not new to Vermont and Vermont communities are already incredibly organized—but the heightened volume and rising bad-faith legal violations mean we need stronger, more coordinated services and solidarity across subpopulations to maximize access to every single hour of available attorney support. That's why we're hiring an intake coordinator, introducing a coordinated legal help request system, resolving Vermont-born barriers to legal access, and connecting legal and lay volunteers with training and resources. In this newsletter, we share the key context, entry points, and calls to action we need the community to use—so VAAP can keep our legal resources focused on direct legal services provision while leaders and partners help carry the rest. Keep reading to find a volume of resources, referral updates, and more: Reopening Intake & Hiring For Your Calendar For Communities For Attorneys From the Media From the Statehouse From Our Partners From Our Team With gratitude and care and love and rage, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Executive Director Need an immigration lawyer in VT? vaapvt.org/help Rapid response for ICE emergency happening now? (802) 881-7229 (Migrant Justice) Non-emergency ICE sightings, secondhand reports: vaapvt.org/icetracker Know Your Rights & Self-Help: vaapvt.org/library Donate to VAAP REOPENING INTAKE & HIRING! VAAP is once again accepting new case requests and offering to help better coordinate immigration legal help referrals statewide. Please download shareable social media files and a two-page flyer (both English, for now) to spread the word— and bookmark vaapvt.org/help today. We're also hiring our inaugural Intake Coordinator to staff the new system, with a very quick priority deadline of next Monday February 16. Apply now! FOR YOUR CALENDAR Feb. 10 from 6:30–8 PM on Zoom: Join Migrant Justice for Rapid Response training to help coordinate statewide community efforts to document ICE activity, support families during an arrest, and connect people to legal/local resources after. Learn about the difference between rapid response and legal help at vaapvt.org/help and register for FREE training here. Feb. 11 from 10-12 PM at Hula, 50 Lakeside Ave., Burlington: Immigration, Employment & Small Businesses: Protecting & Promoting Workplace Diversity in Uncertain Times. Co-led by VAAP director Jill Martin Diaz and Paul Frank + Collins director Kerin Stackpole. Practical guidance for employers, workers, and community members. Sign up here. Feb. 11 from 2-4 PM at State House Cedar Creek Room, Montpelier: VAAP encourages supporters to join ACLU-VT and partners at a public press conference in support of S.208 and S.209 highlighting why these bills matter for protecting Vermonters’ rights and strengthening accountability statewide. Visit the people's house here. Feb. 12 from 5-6:30 PM online: Join We Are All America partners for a leadership development workshop on how political turmoil impacts communities—and how to build grassroots power, mobilize neighbors, and strengthen unity rooted in lived experience. Includes real-world case scenarios and lessons for immigrant organizing today. Register here. Feb. 13 from 7–9 PM ET on Zoom: Join Hands United for Immigration 101, the first of a three-part webinar series designed for Deaf/Hard of Hearing community members to know and enjoy their immigration and related rights. Learn more about their Deaf-specific immigration support resources and register for their sliding scale webinar series by by clicking here. Deadline Feb. 16: Vermont's Act 29 Office of New Americans (ONA) Study Committee is surveying immigration services capacity. If your organization provides immigration legal services in VT, please complete the 10–15 minute survey. Contact Tracy Dolan at tracy.dolan@vermont.gov, with questions. Learn why VAAP supports an ONA-type model here. Deadline Feb. 17 (Feb. 13 if submitting through ACLU-VT): Submit public comments on proposed federal rules that would severely limit access to gender-affirming care for trans youth in VT. Review this recent ACLU-VT Slideshow; follow this Protecting Gender-Affirming Care blog; refer to this Toolkit; and submit to ACLU-VT by 2/13 or the Human Rights Campaign by 2/17. Feb. 18, 2026 5:30–8:30 PM at Queen City Brewery, Burlington: Attorneys are welcome to join the Vermont Bar Foundation for a 1.5-credit CLE and dinner on VT's housing crisis featuring VT Housing Commissioner, the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Let's Build Homes, Downs Rachlin Martin, Vermont Legal Aid, and the Inns of Court. RSVP in advance here. Feb. 19 from 7–9 PM at Savoy Theatre, 26 Main St., Montpelier: Join the Vermont Films Showcase on Immigration for Vermont-made short documentaries including Braiding a New Life and La Liga, followed by a panel with filmmakers, film participants, and local immigrant-support leaders. Ticket sales support filmmakers and independent theaters. Feb. 19 from 4–5:30 PM ET online: Join Detention Watch Network for its second MELT ICE Series webinar, Detention and Resistance under Trump. Expect updates on detention expansion and enforcement impacts, plus resistance strategies from Communities Not Cages campaign organizers from KS, CA, and FL. Click here to register for training. Feb. 25 from 1–3 PM online: National Partnership for New Americans training on updating Know Your Rights presentations for today’s enforcement landscape. Register here. March 25 from 1–3 PM online: NPNA Part 2 on how community organizations can support detained community members. Register here. March 27, 2026 from 8–5 PM at Hilton Lake Champlain, 60 Battery St., Burlington: Attorneys please save the date for the 2026 Vermont Bar Association Midyear Meeting where VBA Immigration Section co-chairs Jill Martin Diaz, of VAAP, and Becky fu Von Trapp, of Von Trapp Law, will co-present CLE on immigration and employment updates. Register here. If you missed it—or want to revisit the discussion—the recording of last week's From Minnesota to Maine and What it Means for Vermont briefing is now available online. The session shared timely updates on what's new, what's not, and how to continue organizing and preparing here in Vermont. Click here to follow us on social media for event updates between newsletters.  VAAP supporters often ask how to help if they’re not attorneys or interpreters. One option is training your communities to engage in ICE watch to ensure community presence, information-sharing, and accountability. National partners including Indivisible and the No Kings coalition are offering winter trainings for community members who want to safely observe and respond to ICE. Register here. FOR COMMUNITIES VAAP Community Case Rounds: Key Takeaways At our February 3 Community Case Rounds, participants raised practical questions about preparedness, institutional settings, and how to support impacted community members. Volunteering & accreditation: We shared information about volunteer opportunities with VAAP, including detention visits, and discussed ways individuals seeking DOJ accreditation can gain experience under attorney supervision. ICE in public spaces: Questions about ICE entering public libraries and “staff-only” areas led to discussion of what we currently know about harboring charges, which to date have involved extreme actions such as physically shielding individuals. We also reviewed differences between judicial and administrative warrants and noted that litigation is expected around recent ICE directives. FOIA as a preparedness tool: VAAP recommends FOIA requests so individuals can understand what information the government has in their A-file, especially when there is concern about detention risk or imminent review of an application. Housing & benefits concerns: Participants discussed a recent HUD audit requesting immigration status information for Section 8 housing. While VAAP has no knowledge of this information being shared with DHS, we reviewed eligibility rules for mixed-status households and pointed to preparedness resources for those concerned. Know Your Rights education: We emphasized using lawyer-vetted KYR materials, many of which are available through VAAP’s resource library, and shared where groups can find additional trainings and support. Intake & referrals: Questions about centralized intake, referrals to nonprofit and fee-for-service attorneys, and when individuals who can pay for representation should do so were addressed, along with guidance on workplace and employer resources. Thank you to everyone who participated and continues to engage thoughtfully in these important conversations. The next Community Case Rounds will be on March 3rd from 10-11am. Sign up here. States at the Core recently teamed up with The Left Hook and Defend the 612 for a discussion on how grassroots organizers in Minnesota are responding to federal immigration enforcement. Watch the recording here to learn how everyday people can organize to protect one another and strengthen community safety in cities and communities nationwide. We’re excited to share American Immigration Council's Belonging Handbook, a new, hands-on resource for community leaders working to welcome immigrants, build bridges across differences, and strengthen local connections. Drawing on real-world lessons from organizers and local leaders, it offers practical tips, concrete strategies, and usable how-to guidance for the work of belonging. Access it here. FOR ATTORNEYS Attorney Case Rounds: Key Takeaways At our February 3 Attorney Case Rounds, VAAP staff and participating attorneys discussed current enforcement trends, legal developments, and practice considerations. Enforcement & detention trends: We do not have confirmation of recent ICE detentions in the St. Johnsbury area. Statewide, VAAP continues to see a higher ICE presence than in past years, with some individuals detained in Vermont and many quickly transferred to out-of-state facilities. We are aware of at least one Vermont child separated from a detained parent and at least two separated from parents who were deported, with similar separations occurring nationwide. Asylum and criminal-immigration overlap: Attorneys discussed general strengths and weaknesses in asylum claims, noting that religion, race, and political opinion claims may be viewed more favorably than some other bases, while recent travel to a country of origin and family members living there without harm can raise concerns.  Legal status updates: The revocation of Haitian TPS remains stayed. meaning that—for now—more than 300,000 people from Haiti can continue to live and work legally in the U.S. under TPS while the legal challenge proceeds. Read the order here. VAAP is not currently seeing detentions at biometrics appointments in Vermont. Updates were shared on SIJS deferred action pending litigation. Detention preparedness: Emphasis was placed on the importance of DHS Form 60-001, which authorizes DHS to share information with an attorney or congressional office. VAAP recommends keeping a signed copy on file as part of detention preparedness, as outlined in our detention resource library. Thank you to everyone who participated and continues to engage thoughtfully in these important conversations. The next Attorney Case Rounds will take place on February 10 from 9-10am. Sign up here.  FROM THE MEDIA From Seven Days: “'Detentions are already happening, and they are going to happen,' Emma Matters-Wood, an attorney with the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, told [information session] attendees. 'The best thing we can do is be as prepared as possible to support people leading up to, and in the event of, a detention occurring.' She encouraged immigrants to carry copies of their identification and proof of employment and to talk with a lawyer — if they have one — to plan a course of action in case they’re detained. But she also noted that the spike in arrests over the past year already has immigration attorneys in Vermont stretched thin. 'I want to prepare folks for the inevitability that not everyone will be able to access an immigration attorney,' she said. 'That is the reality — there’s simply not enough to respond to the volume of need.'" From WCAX: "While some new legal professionals will make a dent, [Emma] Matters-Wood says the state would need to add many more to get services to those who need it. '(There are) hundreds of individuals within the state of Vermont who don’t have any access to legal counsel, so we need a lot more lawyers.' This session, local lawmakers are considering legislation that would require access to legal services in immigration cases [H.742]. From VTDigger: "The Vermont Asylum Assistance Project meets weekly with detainees, but said the scope of their work was reduced this fall when permission to bring in cellphones and computers for live interpretation ended. Now they said they have one landline that they use to call interpreters, which has reduced the detainees they’re able to meet with by about 75%, [Emma] Matters said." From The Citizen: "The night before the [Hinesburg protest], State Treasurer Mike Pieciak and Jill Martin Diaz, a lawyer and the executive director of the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, spoke to a crowded room at the United Church. Along with some strong remarks about recent events — Pieciak defined Good’s death as a murder and Pretti’s as “execution style” — the treasurer also focused on the economic importance of immigrants in Vermont communities and the success of the Vermont Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, of which Pieciak is an honorary member and which has raised $650,000 to help provide immigrants with lawyers. The goal, he said, is to try to bring that number to a million by May.  "Martin Diaz, for their part, broke down how the legal system works — and doesn’t work — for the people detained by federal agents. While Martin Diaz said they in no way wanted to minimize the harm that’s being done as people are taken off the street and often moved to detention centers in other states, they also have some hope. 'If we can hold the line, I do believe that we can uphold the rule of law, that we can preserve our democracy, and we can leave this moment perhaps stronger in terms of infrastructure,' they said. After the talks and a question and answer period, Pieciak said that what he hopes people get out of these kinds of events is 'not to despair,' to turn toward their communities and show up for each other." From WBUR and Vermont Public: "That’s where the saga of a Bulgarian tourist snagged in the underworld of ICE runs out of thread. As in so many of these cases — when the agency carrying out mass deportations doesn’t have to explain its actions — there are things the public will probably never know. For [VAAP attorney, Andy] Pelcher, Georgiev’s case points to a mixture of 'departmental incompetence' and an overloaded system. He said it’s part of a new era of immigration enforcement under Trump 2.0, and cited three other instances where people crossed into the U.S. unintentionally, only to end up in ICE custody. 'There’s no good reason for it,” Pelcher said, “and it’s baffling to watch it unfold.'" From The Commons: "Matters said the most important thing right now, with so many people and organizations wanting to help, is to centralize legal intake within the state of Vermont. 'It helps prevent us from duplicating work and accidentally working at cross purposes with each other, [which] really ends up further limiting the amount of individuals that we can potentially represent,' she said." FROM THE STATEHOUSE On Jan. 30, VAAP and ACLU-VT joined the Vermont Human Rights Commission and fellow civil rights advocates at the Statehouse for a press conference highlighting concrete steps Vermont can take to safeguard civil rights. VAAP was proud to stand in support of the recommendations from our Immigration Futures panel at last fall’s Civil Rights Summit. See the November panel recording here, the January press conference recording here, and the full report with recommendations here. On Jan. 14, VAAP and ACLU-VT testified before the House Corrections Committee about local detention conditions and access to immigration counsel, and the Committee subsequently heard testimony from VDOC. VAAP and advocacy partners including ACLU-VT, VPIRG, the Vermont Human Rights Commission, and Migrant Justice are continuing to press for fuller, fairer access to immigration counsel for anyone detained in Vermont, regardless of what system they find themselves held under.  Watch our testimony here, grounded in well-documented case data and quanlitative and quantitative analysis. Jump to the media section for recent coverage of VDOC access issues. Review previous newsletters for past analysis and coverage.  Review the ICE Tracker for a deep dive into ICE activities in Vermont. Friendly reminder💡As VAAP updates our vaapvt.org/statehouse webpage with our core priorities, bill tracking, and legal analysis, we encourage readers to follow No Secret Police campaign organizers—ACLU of Vermont and Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG)—with whom VAAP and Migrant Justice has partnered for the most up-to-date opportunities and progress this session. We’re especially grateful that ACLU-VT and VPIRG have offered to help speak for VAAP with policymakers and state leaders on immigration policy, allowing VAAP to stay focused on direct legal services. FROM OUR PARTNERS The bullets below are VAAP’s highlights from longer updates shared recently by Vermont’s State Refugee Office to the Refugee and Immigrant Service Providers Network (RISPNET). Vermont served approximately 1,400 refugees in FFY 2025, supported by employment, legal, education, and case management services across the state, highlighting both the scale of need and the importance of coordinated support Other states are already experiencing aggressive enforcement surges, including home visits, rapid detentions, and interstate transfers under initiatives like Operation PARRIS, a new USCIS refugee re-verification program. While Vermont has not yet seen a comparable surge, VAAP and Migrant Justice report a consistently higher ICE presence and more detentions than in past years, underscoring the need to prepare now. Partners emphasized Know Your Rights education, family safety planning, and early access to legal counsel as essential protections against arbitrary detention and system failures Recommended priority steps for vulnerable community members: Carrying copies (not originals) of immigration documents Memorizing A-numbers and a trusted emergency contact Completing family safety and temporary guardianship plans Seeking legal support early, especially for refugees or asylees without green cards Major health coverage changes are coming. Beginning October 2026, many refugees, asylees, and humanitarian parolees will lose Medicaid eligibility. Vermont is assessing the impact and exploring ways to reduce harm, but uncertainty remains. Concerns were raised about federal data-sharing efforts between CMS and DHS. Vermont has joined multistate litigation challenging this shift and confirmed that current Vermont Medicaid data is not accessible to ICE under the ruling. Refugee resettlement has resumed after a yearlong suspension, with new arrivals expected in the coming months alongside ongoing service to Afghan SIV holders The Office of New Americans Study Committee continues its work to strengthen statewide coordination, legal services, employment access, housing, and public health infrastructure, with recommendations expected later this year. Learn more here. A coalition including VAAP and our funding/service partner, Connecting Cultures/NESTT is requesting state funding for Benefit Assisters at community service providers to help eligible community members navigate new SNAP and Medicaid paperwork requirements and stay connected to critical benefits. Organizations are invited to sign on in support; sign the letter here. The American Immigration Council (AIC) and litigation partners are calling for plaintiffs and collecting examples of harm to challenge DHS’s interim rule ending the 540-day automatic extension for work permit renewals. Attorneys with clients whose work authorization will expire in 2026 can share information via this confidential survey. FROM OUR TEAM We’re excited to welcome Devanne O’Brien (based in Rutland) and Daniel Schmidt (based in Montpelier). who are expanding immigration legal services in southern and central Vermont through employment by Vermont Legal Aid and supervision by VAAP. Together, they strengthen access to high-quality immigration representation closer to where people live, in close collaboration with trusted community organizations. For more on their community immigration lawyering initiative, see: VTDigger Burlington Free Press Vermont Business Magazine US News We’re thrilled to share that VAAP Legal Assistant Maja Klostermann has been selected as one of 14 Vermont Folklife Community Fellows. Maja's fellowship project will draw on collaborative fieldwork and ethnographic methods to center immigrant voices and experiences often missing from the public record. Follow along here. A HEARTFELT THANK YOU! From Vermont Public: "Some businesses remained open but pledged to donate a portion of sales to statewide organizations such as Migrant Justice and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, or to organizations in Minnesota that are helping people affected by ICE arrests." In the wake of ICE surges in Minneapolis and Maine last month, Vermonters showed overwhelming solidarity in response to nationwide calls for action against federal immigration enforcement. Across the state, thousands took to the streets while businesses closed or donated portions of their sales to local organizations including VAAP. Thank you to everyone who marched, showed up, shared resources, or supported these actions in whatever way you could. Your solidarity matters—and it makes a difference. That spirit of resilience and resistance was reflected on a national stage last night as Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance celebrated Latine culture and Pan-American identities before millions of viewers. In a moment when immigrant communities, Latine people, and all people are color are facing heightened structural violence, visible celebrations of cross-cultural pride remind us that community and culture, as well as collective action, are powerful tools of resistance. Thank you for continuing to come however you are, give whatever you can, and take whatever you need.  Donate to VAAP Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2026, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.