Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George announced Thursday that her office will not prosecute 13 protesters who were cited for criminal trespass during a February 9 sit-in at a Williston office building housing federal immigration operations.
The protesters, ranging in age from 21 to 85, were cited by Vermont State Police after refusing to leave the White Cap business Park building where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates its National Criminal Analysis Targeting Center, according to George’s office.
The center houses analysts who disseminate information on noncitizens to ICE field offices nationwide, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office. The facility has become a regular protest site as President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have intensified.
George notified Detective Trooper Brandon Degre of the Vermont State Police in Williston on Wednesday that her office declined to prosecute the charges. The protesters had been scheduled for arraignment on March 2.
In letters explaining the decision for each case, George cited the protesters’ “limited” or complete lack of criminal history, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office. Some letters also referenced the protesters’ “advanced age” and noted that the office was not aware of any negative impact on business operations at the office park.
The letters described the protesters as “non-violent,” according to George’s office.
“Should our office receive information directly from the tenants of White Cap Business Park about the effect these protestors have had on their operations, our office may reconsider this decision,” George wrote in the letters.
Several protesters have indicated they plan to continue their demonstrations. Laura Simon, 72, of White River Junction, who was cited during the February 9 protest, said she has been arrested approximately a dozen times over the past 13 years while protesting various causes.
“I think we’re just going to keep at it,” Simon said. “When people are being seriously oppressed, the way to change that is to stand up to the amount of risk you can tolerate. I will continue to go up there and protest.”
The building’s property manager, Normand Stanislas, expressed strong opposition to the prosecutor’s decision.
“My opinion is Sarah George is sending a message to the property owners of Chittenden County that unlawful trespass is allowed on private property in this county,” Stanislas said. “Not to mention unlawful trespass is also allowed within your private buildings with no legal consequences.”
Stanislas said the White Cap Business Park houses approximately a dozen tenants, including a dental office, a café, a doctor’s office, and part of the Vermont Department for Children and Families, according to his statement.
The ICE facility represents just one tenant among about a dozen businesses in the office park, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Protest activity at the site has intensified since reports emerged last fall that ICE plans to add at least a dozen analysts at the location to examine social media posts and other online data to “enhance ICE’s mission and program efficiency,” according to those reports.
The February 9 incident marked the latest in a series of demonstrations targeting the federal immigration facility as activists continue to oppose the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
The decision by George’s office means the 13 protesters will face no criminal penalties for their actions during the sit-in protest at the Williston facility.
