ICE enforcement action leads to standoff in South Burlington
1. The “Lawful Warrant” That Wasn’t
The SBPD Claim: ICE agents were attempting to execute their federal warrant.
The Reality: The entire 10-hour siege was based on totally botched surveillance. The target of the warrant, Deyvi Daniel Corona Sanchez, was not the driver of the crashed car and was never inside that house. ICE caused a multi-car pileup and terrorized a neighborhood for a ghost. When they finally broke down the door, they abducted three completely unrelated people: a Honduran man and two Ecuadorian sisters who were actively seeking asylum.
Full details from Vermont Public and U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmation.
Man targeted in South Burlington ICE raid was not in the house | Vermont Public
2. The Jurisdictional Shell Game
The SBPD Claim: SBPD force was limited to pushing; no SBPD officers used pepper spray, and at no time did SBPD deploy flashbangs or chemical agents.
The Reality: This is a cowardly technicality. While South Burlington cops might not have pulled the pins on the flashbangs, they explicitly called in the people who did. SBPD requested the mutual aid that brought in the Burlington Police and the heavily armed Vermont State Police Critical Action Team. It was VSP and Burlington PD who fired pepper balls, deployed tear gas, and violently dragged protesters down stairs. SBPD is trying to wash their hands of the violence they directly facilitated and oversaw.
Vermont Public breakdown of who deployed what.
The South Burlington ICE raid explained | Vermont Public
3. The “Violent Protest” Smear
The SBPD Claim: The crowd blockaded vehicles and threw beer bottles, water bottles, umbrellas, and rocks.
The Reality: Independent journalists and advocates documented a peaceful vigil that lasted all day. Neighbors linked arms, set up a makeshift tent, roasted hot dogs, and sang modified versions of “We Shall Overcome.” The situation only became a violent clash at dusk when heavily armed tactical police decided to forcefully break through a human chain of linked arms to extract the people ICE had wrongfully detained.
Seven Days photo evidence of the peaceful daytime vigil turning violent.
Chaos Breaks Out at Scene of ICE Arrests in South Burlington | Seven Days
4. The “Reluctant Accomplice” Narrative
The SBPD Claim: Chief Breault tried to convince ICE to reconsider but had to keep officers on site to prevent violence.
The Reality: If the Chief genuinely believed the ICE operation was an unavoidable public safety hazard, his department could have refused to participate. Instead, SBPD maintained the perimeter for hours, coordinated the arrival of state riot police, and effectively protected the federal agents while they executed a baseless raid. Local leaders, including Burlington’s Mayor, have pointed out that these actions fly in the face of the state’s Fair and Impartial Policing policies. You cannot claim to protect a community while holding the door open for the people terrorizing it.
ICE enforcement action leads to standoff in South Burlington | Vermont Public
5. The Cherry Picked Governor Quote
The SBPD Claim: They quote Governor Phil Scott to show they agree the situation was “avoidable.”
The Reality: They conveniently left out the rest of the Governor’s statement. Scott explicitly called the ICE operation “totally unnecessary” and slammed their “outdated tactics which put both peaceful protesters and Vermont law enforcement in a difficult situation.” SBPD using his words to sound sympathetic is deeply ironic considering they are the ones who called in the state troopers to escalate those exact tactics.
Full Governor Phil Scott statement via WCAX.
Primary Sources and Full Incident Coverage
These are the irrefutable public records and mainstream Vermont reporting from the March 11, 2026 Dorset Street raid. The documentation and images verify the exact ice tactical agents and violent police actions that occurred, including the use of force against protesters by the Vermont State Police Critical Action Team in riot gear.
Vermont Public: Detailed timeline and wrong target confirmation.
WCAX: Governor’s full quote and confirmation the suspect remains at large.
Seven Days: Protester accounts and photos of police force.
Migrant Justice: Eyewitness press release on detainments and actions by ice agents.
U.S. Attorney’s Office: Official federal release.
