More than 100 hours of footage document South Burlington police response during ICE raid

More than 100 hours of body-camera footage released by local and state police has provided a detailed public record of the March 11 federal immigration operation at 337 Dorset St. in South Burlington, according to a July 17 examination published by VTDigger.

The footage documents an operation involving a tactical team from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, South Burlington police, Vermont State Police and protesters. It also records police activity in and around Dorset Street and at a command post at South Burlington City Hall.

Three immigrants who refused to leave the home were detained after the ICE team entered it, VTDigger reported. The operation drew a crowd reported to include more than 200 people.

Footage records police response

The newly examined video centers on how local and state officers operated during an extended standoff between federal agents and protesters. South Burlington Deputy Police Chief Sean Briscoe and Police Chief Bill Breault are among the city officials identified in the reporting and in the city’s account of its response.

The city said in a March 20 update that it was continuing to respond to the March 11 federal ICE actions and described the role of South Burlington police in public safety. That official account addresses the city’s role; it does not make South Burlington police responsible for actions taken by ICE or Vermont State Police.

VTDigger’s July report builds on its earlier coverage of the raid, public outcry and accounts from police. It also refers to allegations of constitutional violations. Those allegations are not the same as an established legal finding, and the released footage should not be treated on its own as proof of wrongdoing.

Why the video record matters

The volume of footage offers the public a fuller view of the prolonged and highly visible enforcement action than isolated clips or accounts alone. It documents the presence of several agencies with distinct roles: ICE conducted the federal operation, while South Burlington police and Vermont State Police were present during the response around the home and the crowd.

For South Burlington residents, the record is relevant to continuing scrutiny of how local police participated in or managed public safety during a federal immigration action. The report describes both the large gathering outside the property and the command arrangements involving City Hall, underscoring the scale of the response.

No newer official investigative finding or scheduled next public action was identified in the approved materials following VTDigger’s July 17 report. The available record establishes the release and examination of the footage, while legal conclusions about the March 11 operation remain separate from that documentation.