BURLINGTON, Vt. – The ACLU of Vermont has submitted legal claims on behalf of Johana Patin Patin and José Estrada Jerez, whose rights were violated by ICE agents in a March 11 raid on their home. Their cases represent two of the fifty-four complaints filed by the ACLU and its affiliates as part of a coordinated, nationwide campaign to demonstrate the extent of ICE’s lawlessness and hold the federal government accountable.
“March 11 was far from an isolated incident. All across the state and the country, ICE has shown a brutal and blatant disregard for our neighbors’ rights and safety,” said Monica Allard, Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Vermont. “Johana and José have bravely stepped forward to share their stories and seek justice. They didn’t walk away from their experiences unchanged, and ICE doesn’t get to walk away from this either.”
These claims were brought under the Federal Torts Claims Act (FTCA), seeking financial compensation for wrongdoing by federal government employees. A summary of the complaints filed on behalf of Johana and José can be found here. Video footage of attorney Monica Allard speaking about these filings are available upon request.
“My family and I have built a life here,” said Johana Patin Patin, speaking through a translator. “We volunteer our time to support other families in our community. We work hard, we pay taxes, and our children go to school here. I hope that people who hear my story will understand that no one should live in fear that the government will separate them from their children, physically harm them, or throw them in prison based only on false stereotypes about immigrants and people from Spanish-speaking countries. I think the people of Vermont would agree that we all deserve better.”
“Having people like Johana live, work, and raise a family in our community is a gift,” said attorney Kristen Connors of Montroll, Oettinger, & Barquist PC. “Agents had no business terrorizing her and her family, yet they decided to anyway. This lawless mass deportation campaign endangers us all, and especially our immigrant neighbors. Our client and everyone whose rights have been violated by these unaccountable federal officials deserve access to justice, and we are pleased to be one step closer to delivering that for Johana.”
Earlier this month, the ACLU released a report analyzing immigration enforcement actions in the first year of President Trump’s second term. The report, Agents of Chaos and Cruelty, examines more than 1,200 immigration enforcement incidents across eight states and found that more than 400 of those incidents involved misconduct by immigration agents, including excessive force, racial profiling, and intimidation and abuse.
“No están solos,” said José Estrada Jerez. “The government is doing everything that it can to make us feel afraid, to make us feel small, and to try to push us into the shadows. But people should look at what happened on March 11 and see not only the trauma we faced, but also how powerful our community is when it stands together. By bringing this claim, I hope to see justice not only for myself, but for everyone who has been hurt by these out-of-control agents.”
“ICE has overpoliced our communities for decades, but in the last year and a half, they have escalated their tactics with no regard for our constitutional rights,” said attorney Nathan Virag, of Nathan Virag Law. “Federal agents are using violence and intimidation to spread fear amongst immigrant communities, and it is vital that we use all the tools we have to hold them accountable. We are grateful to José for his courage to shine a light on the abuses he experienced at the hands of ICE, and we will keep fighting for the right to be free from these gross abuses of power.”
Johana Patin Patin is represented by the ACLU of Vermont and Kristen Connors, Evan Barquist, and Andrew Montroll of Montroll Oettinger & Barquist PC. José Estrada Jerez is represented by the ACLU of Vermont and Nathan Virag of Nathan Virag Law.
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