Montpelier, VT — The ACLU of Vermont and Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) are today announcing a new partnership with The Habeas Project of New England. This regional coalition trains and supports federal litigators to work with immigration attorneys in securing the release of immigrants wrongfully detained by ICE.
“The truth is that our immigration court system is not set up to respond to the needs of people wrongfully detained by ICE with the speed and due process they need and deserve,” said Emma Matters, Community Lawyering and Detained Defense Manager at Vermont Asylum Assistance Project. “Federal court offers different legal mechanisms that can help our clients access justice and be reunited with their loved ones and community more quickly. This coalition helps federal litigators access the training and support they need to plug into the fight to defend immigrants’ rights—filling a vital gap in our under-resourced state.”
Founded in 2025, The Habeas Project of New England provides support for immigrants facing unlawful detention without access to bond or meaningful judicial review. The Project matches immigration attorneys with federally barred attorneys to pursue habeas relief in federal court.
“Our network of federal litigators has helped over 170 immigrants who were wrongfully ensnared in the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign so far” said Christy Rodriguez, Senior Immigration Attorney at Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. “We know that ICE is shuttling immigrant detainees across New England, often in secret and largely to separate people from their legal counsel—and their community. Bringing Vermont litigators and people wrongfully held by the federal government in Vermont prisons into our network is an important next step for our coalition.”
Notably, both the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project and the ACLU of Vermont have been involved in high-profile habeas immigration cases over the past year, including on behalf of Vermont resident Hussein Noor Hussein, Vermont resident and Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, and child development scholar R?meysa ?zt?rk. VAAP has been engaging with volunteer attorneys for weekly visits to Vermont prisons, where they provide legal education and resources.
“Supporting immigrants wrongfully detained in Vermont over this past year has been a really meaningful experience for me” said Andy Pelcher, a Vermont attorney and Practice Development Fellow with VAAP. “The legal system has unfortunately been wielded by this administration to demean, disparage, and demoralize valued members of our community. I would encourage attorneys across the state to get involved with The Habeas Project—with a little bit of training, you can use your skills to make a real difference in people’s lives.”
According to data from the state and federal government, ICE has detained over 900 people in Vermont since January 2025. The volume and diverse needs of people being detained in Vermont Department of Corrections facilities has prompted additional scrutiny of the challenges facing immigrant detainees. The state legislature is considering several bills to address these issues, including:
- H.294 seeks to expand language services so that speakers of languages other than English held in Vermont’s prisons have access to the information and resources that they need.
- H.742 would create a state-funded legal resource for people held in state prison for an alleged civil immigration violation to have access to an attorney, the same way that people held for alleged criminal violations do.
“We consistently hear from Vermonters who see the injustices unfolding around us and want to know how they can help” said Monica Allard, Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Vermont. “Volunteers alone cannot fix the systemic injustices we face, but we now have a proven legal playbook to secure the release of people who are wrongfully detained by ICE. And we will keep advocating for systemic solutions, including universal legal representation and improved language access services in Vermont facilities. What we need in this moment is more ‘people power’ to help defend the rights and dignity of those caught up in the Trump administration’s cruel agenda.”
Federal litigators who are interested in learning more about volunteering with The Habeas Project of New England can join a virtual training on February 26th from 3:30 to 5pm.
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