Tracking ICE Use of Vermont Prisons
Data displayed on this website has been collected from public sources and analyzed by Vermont community members, with help from friends based in other New England States. Our two main sources are the Vermont Department of Corrections Jail Tracker website, and federal immigration enforcement data, attained and compiled by the Deportation Data Project, who we cannot thank enough for ensuring public access to this information.
All statistics and visuals using Vermont DOC data will be updated at least once daily, and the Deportation Data Project data will be updated whenever possible. For more information on our methodology, please see the about page.
- References to "detentions" indicate the period when someone is held in prison. We refer to "arrests" separately from detentions.
- All federal data displayed below covers the time period between 01.01.2025 and 03.11.2026.
Total Vermont Detainees
Since 01.01.2025
997
- Chittenden Regional (CRCF)
- 38.7% ∙ 386
- Northwest State (NWSCF)
- 61.0% ∙ 608
- Northern State (NSCF)
- 0.2% ∙ 2
- Marble Valley Regional (MVRCF)
- 0.1% ∙ 1
The figures above reflect the number of detentions in Vermont prisons only. Nearly all ICE detentions occur at either Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, or Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington.
There were 50 detentions that occurred in the ICE ERO office in St. Albans, according to federal detention data. We have decided to omit these from the totals to better align with the VT DOC Immigration Detainer Dashboard.
Monthly Immigration Detainees
Year
Detention Stint Durations
The following charts break down how long people are being held in Vermont prisons on behalf of ICE. Looking at the number of people staying for specific durations provides a more accurate understanding of the rate at which ICE and the Vermont DOC are shipping people in and out of Vermont than we can get by looking at averages.
It becomes clear that ICE is cycling people in and out of Vermont quickly, in attempt to evade due process by disorienting lawyers and support networks of detainees. The goal is to move people away to Louisiana and Texas as quickly as possible, where their chances of fair proceedings decrease.
Both Prisons
Stint Duration Detainees
- 1 to 2 days
163
- 2 to 3 days
162
- 3 to 7 days
248
- 1 to 2 weeks
195
- 2 weeks to 4 weeks
87
- over 1 month
69
Stint length
Total / Share
< 2 weeks
< 1 week
< 5 days
< 3 days
< 2 days
559
58%
378
40%
281
29%
169
18%
65
7%
Chittenden Regional
This rapid trafficking is most pronounced for women, non-binary, and gender-expansive people being placed in the women's prison in South Burlington. Half of everyone held by ICE in Chittenden Regional stay for less than five days, and 71% stay for less than two weeks.
Immigration lawyers, who are completely overwhelmed by Trump's mass deportation operation, are rarely notified when their clients are transfered, and they have little chance to intervene before it's too late. And as we will see below, Chittenden Regional is almost always the last stop before the mega detention centers in Louisiana and Texas.
Stint Duration Detainees
- 1 to 2 days
134
- 2 to 3 days
123
- 3 to 7 days
106
- 1 to 2 weeks
32
- 2 to 4 weeks
16
- over 1 month
18
Stint length
Total / Share
< 2 weeks
< 1 week
< 5 days
< 3 days
< 2 days
269
71%
237
63%
205
54%
139
37%
54
15%
Northwest State
The situation at Northwest State is not much better. Around half of everyone detained there stay less than two weeks. Detainees here are more likely to be shuffled around within New England, before making the same trip south.
The bulk of all detainees in Northwest prison only stay from three days to two weeks.
Stint Duration Detainees
- 1 to 2 days
27
- 2 to 3 days
37
- 3 to 7 days
141
- 1 to 2 weeks
163
- 2 to 4 weeks
71
- over 1 month
51
Stint length
Total / Share
< 2 weeks
< 1 week
< 5 days
< 3 days
< 2 days
287
50%
138
24%
73
13%
28
5%
10
2%
Outcomes for VT Detainees
The federal court for the District of Vermont is among the most favorable for immigration outcomes in the country. Vermont is also home to legal advocates and community organizations like Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, Migrant Justice, and others who do heroic, tireless work to free people from ICE custody. Their interventions and support are highly effective.
It is also true that the vast majority of people held by the DOC on behalf of ICE have no local support networks and never see the inside of a courtroom in Vermont. As is the case all across the country, many have been arrested without a warrant, detained without justification, and/or transferred illegally.
The result is that 73% of people detained in Vermont are being deported involuntarily.
Release Reason
Total / Share
Removed
Bonded Out - IJ
Voluntary departure
Order of recognizance
U.S. Marshals or other agency (explain in Detention Comments)
Order of supervision
Proceedings Terminated
Relief Granted by IJ
Transferred
Order of Recognizance - Humanitarian
Bonded Out - Field Office
Paroled
Voluntary Return
NULL
607
73%
142
17%
21
3%
13
2%
9
1%
7
1%
6
1%
6
1%
6
1%
5
1%
4
< 1%
2
< 1%
1
< 1%
0
< 1%
Where VT Detainees Come From
Federal detention data allows us to trace each person's path through the mass deportation apparatus, from point of arrest through each facility until they are either freed or removed. This map shows the detention facilities people leave before arriving in Vermont.
The radius of the circles shown reflects the number of people coming from each facility. The inclusion of Northwest State and Chittenden Regional represent how many people were placed in Vermont prisons as a "first stop" in their detention stay. The majority of people detained in Vermont prisons are coming from out-of-state. Over 72% of those held in Chittenden Regional were transfered from out-of-state since 01.01.2025. Around 24% of arrivals to Northwest State come from out of state.
Facility:
First Stops
Although most people detained in Vermont prisons were transferred from an out-of-state facility, this isn't the case for everyone. Here you can see the number of people detained in a Vermont prison before they are brought anywhere else.
Northwest State: 383
Chittenden Regional: 97
Unfortunately the federal arrest data for Vermont is very lacking. The data doesn't capture arrests made by Border Patrol, which seems to be doing the vast majority of enforcement in the borderlands of New England and New York. Research into court records also indicates there is a strong possibility that people sent to Vermont prisons may be less likely to be arrested by way of a warrant or other legal documentation.
First stops do not mean someone was arrested in Vermont. ICE usually moves people across state lines immediately after arrest to evade lawyers and support networks, but this info is helpful in understanding why the "sending" facility numbers at Northwest State are lower than Chittenden Regional.
Chittenden Regional
Sending Facility
Total / Share
Boston Holdroom, MA
Hartford Office, CT
Providence Holdroom, RI
Saint Albans Hold Room, VT
Manchester Holdroom, NH
Northwest State Correctional Ctr., VT
Cumberland County Jail, ME
Clinton County Jail, NY
VT. Dept. Of Corrections, VT
Boston SPC, MA
Hartford Corr Center, CT
Henderson Detention, NV
194
56%
25
7%
9
3%
8
2%
3
1%
3
1%
2
1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
Northwest State
Sending Facility
Total / Share
Boston Holdroom, MA
Hartford Office, CT
Saint Albans Hold Room, VT
Manchester Holdroom, NH
Plymouth Co Cor Facilty, MA
Providence Holdroom, RI
Nyc Hold Room, NY
Wyatt Detention Center, RI
Two Bridges Regional Jail, ME
62
12%
29
6%
10
2%
5
1%
5
1%
4
1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
Where VT Detainees Go Next
The following map shows the most common places people end up immediately after leaving Vermont. According to this data, nearly all people departing Chittenden Regional are being put directly on planes and flown south, first out of Patrick Leahy International Airport, and later out of airports in Southern New England.
ICE flights have been met with constant pushback from communities near these aiports, forcing most flights in the second half of 2025 to be made via private charter flights provided by airlines like Avelo Airlines, which has recently discontinued its partnership with ICE in the face of public pressure.
Facility:
Human Rights Abuses
You may recognize the locations listed here from reporting of human rights abuses. The horrific reality of mass deportation campaigns is that they require the construction of concentration camps. It is reasonable to claim some of these facilities have been meeting this criteria since before Trump took office.
Federal Oversight Body Opens New Investigation Into Notoriously Abusive Louisiana ICE Detention Center. Read More
Sen. Ossoff’s Ongoing Investigation Uncovers Credible Reports of Medical Neglect, Denial of Adequate Food or Water in Immigration Detention. Read More
Conditions at Louisiana ICE lockup worsen as detainees increase, immigrant rights advocates say. Read More
Pregnant and Postpartum Women Face Neglect and Abuse in ICE Detention. Read More
Community members have been accepting the legal and bodily risks that come along with slowing down the pace at which people are being smuggled to these facilities all year. It is time for political leadership to step up and help in whatever ways they can.
Chittenden Regional
Receiving Facility
Total / Share
Basile Detention Center, LA
Florence Staging Facility, AZ
Richwood Cor Center, LA
Karnes County Residential Center, TX
Boston Holdroom, MA
El Valle Detention Facility, TX
Atlanta Dist. Hold Rm, GA
Houston Contract Det.Fac., TX
Laredo Processing Center, TX
Chittenden Reg. Cor. Facility, VT
Otay Mesa Detention Center, CA
Port Isabel SPC, TX
Otero Co Processing Center, NM
Eloy Federal Contract Fac, AZ
Strafford Co Dept Of Corr, NH
Imperial Regional Adult Det Fac, CA
Stewart Detention Center, GA
Columbus Holdroom, OH
El Paso County Detention Facility, TX
Calhoun Co., Battle Cr,MI, MI
VT. Dept. Of Corrections, VT
Clinton County Jail, NY
Cumberland County Jail, ME
69
20%
41
12%
33
10%
29
8%
26
8%
17
5%
14
4%
12
3%
12
3%
11
3%
8
2%
6
2%
6
2%
5
1%
5
1%
4
1%
2
1%
2
1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
Northwest State
Receiving Facility
Total / Share
FCI Berlin, NH
Plymouth Co Cor Facilty, MA
Boston Holdroom, MA
Strafford Co Dept Of Corr, NH
Alexandria Staging Facility, LA
Winn Corr Institute, LA
Port Isabel SPC, TX
Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center, LA
Northwest State Correctional Ctr., VT
Karnes County Residential Center, TX
Jackson Parish Correctional Center, LA
Torrance/Estancia, NM, NM
Wyatt Detention Center, RI
Adams County Det Center, MS
Buffalo SPC, NY
Chittenden Reg. Cor. Facility, VT
Florence Staging Facility, AZ
Cumberland County Jail, ME
Clinton County Jail, NY
Providence Holdroom, RI
T Don Hutto Residential Center, TX
Krome/Miami Hub, FL
121
24%
98
20%
47
9%
39
8%
28
6%
19
4%
19
4%
17
3%
10
2%
9
2%
9
2%
7
1%
4
1%
4
1%
3
1%
3
1%
2
< 1%
2
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
1
< 1%
Ways You Can Help
Please reach out to us via email if you are interested in learning more about supporting immigrants being smuggled by ICE, or if you have capacity to help put pressure on politicians to implement policy changes that would keep people in New England long enough to get a fair hearing in immigration court.
We are also eager to connect with anyone with a data science background. Your skills can be invaluable in our efforts to raise the alarm about Vermont's role in the the mass deportation pipeline.