WILLISTON, VT — Vermont State Police arrested 13 protesters on July 24 after they refused to leave a business park in Williston that houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center. Among those taken into custody were five Dartmouth students: Henry Dorr ’28, Kate Pressgrove ’29, Jackson Price ’28, Gabbie Ross ’28 and Roan Wade ’25. The group had gathered early that morning in a sit-in aimed at blocking access to the federal facility. Protesters said the action was meant to disrupt work at the center and draw attention to ICE’s role in immigration enforcement.
How The Protest Unfolded
Wade said a few dozen people took part in the effort, with some blocking the doors to the building beginning around 7:30 a.m. while others demonstrated outside. According to a Vermont State Police press release, the property owner told officers the people inside were trespassing, would not leave when asked and wanted police to remove them. Police said they worked with the Williston Police Department and spoke with protest leaders before several people left the building and the rest indicated they would need to be arrested. Ross said she joined the sit-in because the ICE site is close to Dartmouth and, in her view, affects communities far beyond Vermont. The Dartmouth was not able to verify every participant’s account independently.
Students Describe Their Goals
Several of the arrested students characterized the arrest as a success because protesters outside told them ICE employees were unable to work that day. Wade said the group believed it had prevented normal operations at the facility and interrupted what they see as harmful federal activity. He described the site as part of a larger system supporting ICE enforcement nationwide. Ross said the demonstration was meant to push back against what she called harm happening in Dartmouth’s “backyard” and beyond. She pointed to the facility’s reach, saying its impact is felt not just locally but in places including New York, Boston and Florida. The protesters framed the sit-in as part of an ongoing effort to shut down the center.
Police Use And Social Media
Wade said police were more forceful during this arrest than during two previous demonstrations he had joined at the same location, saying he was pulled from the building, pinned to the ground and handcuffed while face down. The Dartmouth could not independently confirm that account. Vermont State Police spokesperson Adam Silverman said in an email that uses of force are generally reviewed under department policy, but he would not say whether the July 24 incident is under investigation. In the days after the arrests, video of officers carrying protesters from the building spread on social media. The clip was posted by Nathaniel Maddison, who was also arrested, and who said he wanted the footage to bring wider attention to Vermont’s role in the ICE crackdown.
Next Steps Ahead
The July arrests followed earlier demonstrations at the same Williston facility. In February, Wade was arrested there along with Geisel School of Medicine professor Donald Kollisch and 11 others, and in May four people with no Dartmouth ties were arrested at the site. After those earlier incidents, Chittenden County State Attorney Sarah George declined to file trespassing charges against the protesters. Vermont State Police said that if George decides to prosecute this latest case, the arrested protesters are scheduled to appear in court in September. ICE did not respond to a request for comment. Jackson Price declined to comment, and Henry Dorr did not respond.
