7 Faith Leaders and Clergy Arrested after Blockading ICE Surveillance Center in Williston

WILLISTON: At approximately 7:15am, a group of around 20 community members, led by and including faith leaders, began blocking entrances to the White Cap office park building at 426 Industrial Avenue in order to prevent workers from clocking in at the National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center.

Immediately after setting up the blockade, police were called. State and Williston Police arrived and gave a single warning. Legal observers documenting the police interaction were forced to leave or face arrest. Protesters held strong, singing and holding signs with slogans like “people are not targets.”

One arrestee, Rev. Elizabeth Gleich, pastor of the Congregational Church of Middlebury, United Church of Christ, said: “One of the central tenets of my Christian faith is honoring the dignity of every human person. The actions of ICE — which include surveilling our immigrant neighbors and violently detaining them — directly contradict this tenet. I am called to stand with other faith leaders in Vermont and make the strongest statement I can, that ICE needs to leave Vermont — for the wellbeing of not just the immigrants in our state, but for everyone.”

At 9:30 arrests began. 5 were led out and 2 had to be carried by Vermont State Police out of the building. DHS workers were seen outside the building, unable to get to work.

The Venerable Susan McMillan, Archdeacon, Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, another person removed by police, said: “Every day, from this building, ICE surveils, determining which man, woman or child should be targeted. And then that person, or someone mistaken for that person, or a brown skinned person who happens to be nearby, is kidnapped, incarcerated without due process, and their life destroyed. If Jesus were here in the US today, he easily might be caught in this trap and deported."

The faith leaders stated this was just the beginning, and encouraged people from across the country to join them in Williston for a week of action in Williston– more info can be found at shutdownicevt.org; Large-scale mass civil disobedience is being planned against ICE.

The arrestees, charged with unlawful trespass, are due in court October 20 at 8:30am Undeterred, they say that the campaign must continue until ICE is out of Williston.

PHOTOS/VIDEO: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1f7iCPTtU0J9x0XMvxfRvqzLnz_qSrkpK?usp=drive_link