The Vermont Progressive Party is calling on Governor Phil Scott to end the state’s agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the detainment of Mohsen Mahdawi last week by federal agents.
Mahdawi, a lawful permanent U.S. resident living in Vermont, was detained last week while en route to a naturalization interview. According to the party and local reports, he was approached by two federal agents in an unmarked vehicle and taken into custody, where his lawyer reportedly learned later that Mahdawi’s green card had been revoked. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday to prevent Mahdawi’s immediate removal from Vermont. A hearing is scheduled next week to determine whether he may be released while the case proceeds.
In a statement shared this week from Chair Anthony Pollina, the party sharply rebuked Scott’s response to the situation, describing Mahdawi’s detention as “the kind of ‘disappearance’ that has been common in authoritarian countries run by dictators.” The party alleges that Mahdawi, who co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia University in 2023, was targeted for his views and advocacy surrounding the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The party also criticized Vermont’s agreement to house ICE detainees, calling the current $180-per-night arrangement unacceptable and urging the state to end its cooperation entirely. According to local media, Scott said on the same day the Progressive Party issued its statement that he felt ending the current agreement with ICE wouldn’t stop immigration officials from detaining people moving through the state. He also reportedly noted that the clause allowing Vermont to terminate the agreement would have taken effect around the same time the agreement was scheduled to expire.
The party added that silence from Scott on what he intends to do or continued deference to federal authorities amounts to complicity and urged both the governor and the legislature to take legislative action to prevent future cooperation.
The full statement from the Vermont Progressive Party can be read below:
Progressives call on Scott to cut ties with ICE
Montpelier, VT. – The Vermont Progressive Party issued the following statement following the abduction of Mohsen Mahdawi by ICE agents.
“The Vermont Progressive Party is demanding Governor Phil Scott to stand up in support of Mohsen Mahdawi and protect Vermonters from the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.
“It’s time for the Governor to take a stand. Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident of the United States and resident of Vermont was taken away by men wearing masks and hoods in unmarked cars when he arrived for a citizen interview with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We now believe Mahdawi is in the St. Albans Correctional Facility. His crime appears to be speaking out against the genocide in Gaza. This is the kind of ‘disappearance’ that has been common in authoritarian countries run by dictators.
“Vermont has an agreement to house detained individuals, for which we are paid $180 a night. We appreciate those Vermont state senators and others who are calling for cancelling the detainees agreement with ICE, but cancelling the agreement is the least we can do.
“Legislators and the Governor should immediately pass legislation putting a stop to this madness before it takes root in Vermont. Vermont should not be cooperating with and taking money from an authoritarian regime which sends people with masks to pluck innocent people away without due process or evidence of a crime being committed.
“At this point, silence is complicity, and Governor Scott so far is largely silent, having issued a weak statement with no proposed action.
“We will not tolerate the Governor offering the excuse that this is a federal issue best left to federal officials.
“We need to know what the Governor is doing and will do to protect the rights and lives of Vermonters.
“The governor likes to talk about helping the most vulnerable. When it comes to disappearing people and losing our constitutional rights we are all most vulnerable.”
#
The relevant issue is probably the Commandeering Doctrine. The Federal government cannot order state governments to spend money.
They have no right to refuse. Last time I checked they were still part of the United States.