As we’ve been telling you, Williston Vermont is the surveillance nerve center of ICE’s operations across the country. The work ICE does in Vermont is fraught with error and is both dangerous and unconstitutional.
Vermonters and allies have been showing up, shutting shit down, and demanding justice all year. But despite our protest, we’ve also seen escalating charges from state and federal prosecutors against local clergy and other activists who speak out. And we’ve heard that the Trump regime want’s to put even more ICE surveillance in Williston.
Need to learn more before you decide if you want to join us? We have two upcoming trainings and briefings to read you in:
- On Sunday October 25, join us in person in Putney VT for a full day training in non violence and direct action. More information is available at the website or you can RSVP to join us here.
- Tuesday October 27 at 5pm we’re hosting an online zoom meeting for those who don’t need a full training or refresher, but just want to know the details of the plan and how to participate. If that’s the right fit for you, click here to RSVP.
What’s the plan?
We’ll gather at the White Cap Business Park at 426 Industrial Ave. at 9:00 AM. We’ll share stories of those killed by ICE, leave memorials in the form of chalk silhouettes, and walk around the building before leaving for the Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) on Harvest Lane. We’ll proceed as a somber funeral procession grieving all who have died at the hands of ICE. The walking route is approximately 1 & 1⁄4 miles.
We expect to arrive at the harvest lane building at 188 Harvest Lane around 10:00 AM where we’ll have a bit of a rally and press conference
Individuals willing to risk arrest, who are trained in NVDA and a member of an affinity group, will participate in a sit-in at . This action will stictly adhere to nonviolent principles. Other participants are invited to express their support, legally, at a designated area adjacent to the sit-in.
Why Williston
If you missed our earlier week of actio and the briefings for it, ICE operates two main facilities in Williston Vermont that are central to their illegal and immoral actions around the country.
The National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center (NCATC) The digital surveillance work performed at the White Cap Business Park enables ICE to track and violently detain people at a national level. The NCATC sends out “Targeting Orders” to 25 field offices across the country.
This facility also surveils “family members, friends, or co-workers” of potential targets. The work includes surveilling social media, including searching for “negative sentiment” towards ICE. It’s one of only two facilities in the country that performs surveillance functions.
The Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) ICE’s National Tip Line operates at Harvest Lane, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. ICE’s central database of information on 340,000 targets for arrest is housed here. This facility not only responds to tips, but also performs “proactive targeting” of individuals, just like the NCATC.
Direct Action requires training and preparation. While all are welcome to participate in the funeral procession and gathering, we ask that those participating in the sit in at the LESC building complete a nonviolent direct action (NVDA) training and be with an affinity group. If you’ve been to our previous trainings before the week of action or our May 8 demonstration in St Albans, you don’t need to get trained again. But you are welcome to join us in Putney on Sunday October 25, and you are encouraged to join the online conversation on October 27 at 5pm.
For more information or to get in contact visit the website or email the team at iceoutvtalliance@gmail.com.
What about the election?
You’re not wrong if you’re thinking that this sounds like a lot of work right after a huge and contested election that we’re very concerned may not be over and settled on election day. A few things to know and do if you’re in full on election protection mode this week:
Sign the No Kings pledge to host or attend an event in your community if a national rapid response mobilization is called after election day. After the last polls close on November 3rd, we need to be ready to mobilize where and when we’re needed. That means making sure every precinct, town, county and state is allowed to count every vote and certify their election results without violence or interference from the trump regime and their fossil fueled fascist supporters. And it could mean staying ready to travel or take action in other states up to and including on January 3, 2027, which is the day the new Congress should be sworn in and seated in D.C.
If you’re part of a poll watching group or indivisible chapter in Vermont, and you want to join some like-minded friends on Monday October 26 at 6pm click here to join a zoom call organized by Bennington Indivisible. Here’s a little blurb about it if helpful
Authoritarians want to seize as much power as possible. We won’t let them.
To win elections, authoritarians change the rules so they can win. Redistricting to strip Black voters of representation. Raiding offices of nonpartisan get out the vote operations in the middle of an election. Claiming fraud in honest elections. Sound familiar?
Join ur online Zoommeeting to talk about how we fight back and protect the election.
When: Oct 26, 2026 06:00 PM Eastern Time
RSVP: https://us02web.zoom.us/
meeting/register/ yLFaoJ4PSlO8M3IFkYusVg After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
You can learn more and download a guidebook for election protection at https://freedomtrainers.net/
election/ On the 26th we’ll consider some scenarios and share tools to help us defend the election — because when authoritarians tell us to not vote or our vote won’t matter, we won’t comply.
Finally, bear in mind that while Nov 6 is right after election day it won’t be the end of election-protection. If we need to pivot our action on the 6th, we’re ready. We’ll already be in the middle of ICE and the Trump regime’s surveillance nerve center, and it might be more important than ever to stand up and speak out in that moment to protect our neighbors and communities.
See you there!