Vermont
Officials condemn ICE’s actions at violent Vermont protest, while advocates question state’s role – The Boston Globe
Meanwhile, new details emerged about the day-long skirmish, which included a lengthy standoff outside a residence in South Burlington, the detention of three undocumented immigrants, none of whom were the original target, and the use of pepper spray and flashbang devices for crowd control.
Local and state police said the incident began around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, when US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents sought to detain a man they believed to be Deyvi Daniel Corona-Sanchez, a Mexican citizen who had previously been deported and subsequently charged with driving under the influence in Vermont.
Federal officials pursued a car they believed Corona-Sanchez was driving in a busy neighborhood of South Burlington. The driver crashed into multiple vehicles, including two driven by federal agents, and then escaped on foot. Authorities surrounded a nearby house into which they said the driver had fled.
ICE operation in Vermont leads to violent clashes between protesters and police
Occupants refused to let federal agents into the house without a warrant and, with assistance from the advocacy group Migrant Justice, summoned supporters to block the doors. Over the course of the day, the crowd swelled to more than 200 people singing and chanting as more law enforcement officers arrived.
Just after 5 p.m., an unidentified federal agent told the crowd a federal judge had issued a criminal arrest warrant for Corona-Sanchez and ordered them to disperse. Vermont state troopers wearing tactical gear cleared a path through the protesters, allowing federal agents to enter the house — and leave a short time later with three people.
Protesters sought to prevent federal agents and police from departing by blocking their vehicles while officers wrestled some protesters to the ground, pepper-sprayed them, and deployed flashbangs. At least three protesters were cited for criminal trespass, according to Vermont State Police.
On Thursday, the US attorney in Vermont said the three people detained inside the house did not include Corona-Sanchez. And, according to Rachel Elliott, a spokesperson for Migrant Justice, Corona-Sanchez no longer owned the car, was not driving it on Wednesday, nor was inside the house raided by agents.
Rather, Elliott said, the occupants included two women from Ecuador, one man from Honduras, and two minors. She said the man, Christian Jerez-Andrade, was among the passengers in the car, along with one of the minors, a 17-year-old boy. According to Elliott, the driver of the car, whom she did not identify, never entered the house. The other minor, a young girl, was spirited out of the house Wednesday afternoon, before the protest escalated.
Jerez-Andrade and the two women were being held in Vermont prisons Thursday. Their attorneys filed petitions in court seeking to keep them in Vermont, and federal judges granted their requests later that day.
Elliott described a harrowing scene inside the house. She said the 17-year-old “watched armed officers chase people through the home.” At one point, she said, a federal agent tripped and accidentally discharged their service weapon.
ICE did not respond to a request for comment.
Top officials in the state blasted federal agents for initiating the raid and confronting protesters, all while failing to achieve their initial objective of detaining Corona-Sanchez.
“President Trump’s domestic army, ICE, came into Vermont yesterday from out of state and, as is virtually always the case, acted in an irresponsible, reckless and unprofessional manner,” said Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, as well as Representative Becca Balint, in a statement.
Governor Phil Scott, a Republican who has long distanced himself from the Trump administration, called the incident “totally unnecessary,” and said the actions of federal law enforcement “further demonstrates a lack of training, coordination, leadership, and outdated tactics which put both peaceful protesters and Vermont law enforcement in a difficult situation.”
He thanked local and State Police, but he criticized “those there to agitate,” an apparent reference to protesters, some of whom threw water bottles and other objects at police vehicles.
Sarah George, the county prosecutor, called for the US attorney’s office to investigate the conduct of federal agents, a sentiment echoed by other officials.
One statewide officeholder, Treasurer Mike Pieciak — a Democrat viewed as a potential challenger to Scott — went a step further, calling for an independent investigation of both federal and state law enforcement.
“Who made the decision and why was the decision made for the State Police to get involved in an immigration enforcement matter?” he said in an interview.
State and local police agencies in Vermont are required to follow Fair and Impartial Policing policies, which limit the extent to which they can cooperate with federal authorities on immigration matters. Pieciak questioned whether Vermont State Police might have run afoul of those policies when they pushed through the crowd so ICE agents could reach the house.

“It seems like the State Police were providing the pathway, providing the opportunity for ICE agents to get into the house and conduct their search or try to execute on their arrest warrant,” he said. “And without the State Police, that would not have happened.”
But Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison, who oversees the State Police, took issue with the notion her officers facilitated the arrests.
“We did not help ICE get into the house,” she said. Rather, state troopers “created a safe corridor” through which federal agents could move, she said, “and make their way to the door, where they handled the operation exclusively.”

Morrison said her agency made the assessment, based on similar protests throughout the country, that without its involvement, federal agents were more likely to use “techniques . . . that could have harmed Vermonters.”
Lia Ernst, legal director for the ACLU of Vermont, said she was skeptical local and State Police were focused on keeping protesters safe and protecting the First Amendment.
“When they’re gearing up in masks and tactical gear, that doesn’t feel to me like an agency preparing to do those things,” Ernst said, calling for a “full and thorough” investigation.
At least one local officer was already facing scrutiny Thursday.
Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, whose police department assisted at Wednesday’s incident, said the city was reviewing the actions of a Burlington officer “who has been accused of using excessive force against protesters.”
She appeared to be referring to an officer pictured in a video circulating on social media who grabbed a woman by the arm, swung her around, and slammed her to the curb. The woman, Gwendolyn Heaghney, 33, of Winooski, said she had been trying to remove a mask from a fellow protester who was being led away by police in order to help him breathe.
“It was just like crazy whiplash,” she said Thursday as she sought treatment at a local hospital. “I’ve never really been in a physical fight, but he grabbed my arm, twisted it, and my whole body went with him.”
Heaghney said she hoped to see “something other than milquetoast” statements from politicians and police.
“I want to see some accountability,” she said.
Paul Heintz can be reached at paul.heintz@globe.com. Follow him on X @paulheintz.
Vermont
Wrong-way driver stopped on I-89, charged with DUI
BOLTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A wrong-way driver was safely stopped on Interstate 89 overnight Sunday.
Vermont State Police say just before 12:30 a.m., they stopped the car near marker 77, near Bolton.
The driver, Denise Lear, 60, of Revere, was charged with driving under the influence and gross negligent operation.
Lear is expected in court Monday.
Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Vermont
Women’s Lacrosse Bested in Burlington by Vermont – University at Albany Great Danes
Score: UAlbany 4, Vermont 14
Location: Virtue Field | Burlington, Vt.
Records: UAlbany (10-5, 5-1 America East) | Vermont (8-6, 4-1 America East)
Short Story: UAlbany women’s lacrosse fell to the Vermont Catamounts on Saturday afternoon.
Key Stats
- Grace Cincebox recorded a total of 14 saves with 13 goals allowed for a .565 save percentage.
- Ravan Marsell led the Great Danes with two points on one goal and one assist.
- Four different UAlbany players scored in the contest.
- Reggie Williams was the team’s leader with three ground balls.
- Delilah Mile caused a team high three turnovers.
How It Happened
- The Catamounts came out of the gates hard and heavy, scoring all three goals between both sides in the first quarter.
- Vermont would take an 8-0 lead in the second quarter before Amanda Williamson found the back of the net on a women-down goal to put the Great Danes on the board and make it 8-1.
- The Great Danes would allow one more goal in the first half to trail 9-1 after 30-minutes of play.
- Grace Cincebox would enter the half with 10 saves.
- Riley Forthofer started the Great Danes off in the second half to make it a 9-2 game, before Vermont put up three more goals to take a 12-2 lead entering the final quarter of play.
- Mya Carroll and Ravan Marsell both scored on back-to-back free-position goals to make it a 12-4 game.
- The Catamounts finished the game with two more goals to take the win 14-4.
Up Next
The Great Danes will next have a bye week and wait to see the outcome of next week’s Vermont vs UMass Lowell game to see who will host the America East Tournament.
Social Central: Stay up to date with UAlbany women’s lacrosse by following the team on Instagram (@UAlbanyWLax), Facebook (UAlbany Women’s Lacrosse), and X (@UAlbanyWLax) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.
Vermont
Vermont lands two cities in America’s top 15 happiest list
Is creativity the missing key to better health?
Research suggests creative activities like art, music and crafts may benefit mental health as much as other key health habits.
Here’s another reason Vermont is the best New England state: It’s home to one of the top 5 happiest cities in the United States.
Plus, it has another within the top 15.
Massachusetts, on the other hand, doesn’t even break the top 50. Nor, does Connecticut or Rhode Island.
The personal finance website analyzed 182 of the largest cities in the country, and ranked Boston 63rd overall. Although the city is home to some of the nation’s top universities, high-ranking hospitals, and well-regarded companies, it didn’t break the top 50.
To get the rankings, WalletHub compared the cities using 29 metrics, including life-satisfaction index, depression rate, poverty rate, job security, and acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, and cities were assigned an overall happiness score.
Here’s a look at how the cities ranked.
South Burlington is No. 4 happiest city, Burlington is No. 11
South Burlington came on top for Vermont in WalletHub’s list of the happiest cities in the United States, ranking at No. 4. In scored very high for emotional and physical well-being coming in at the No. 4 spot, which made up for coming in No. 48 for community and environment. It was No. 9 for income and employment ranking. That gave it a total happiness of score of 70.15
Burlington wasn’t far behind at all, taking the No. 11 spot on the list and a happiness score of 67.54. It’s highest score was for income and employment ranking where it came second. It ranked No. 13 for community and environment and No. 21 for emotional and physical well-being.
Happiest cities in the US, per WalletHub
Here are the 25 happiest cities in the U.S., and their happiness scores, according to WalletHub’s 2026 list:
- Fremont, California – 74.09
- Bismarck, North Dakota – 73.11
- Scottsdale, Arizona – 71.36
- South Burlington, Vermont – 70.15
- Fargo, North Dakota – 69.36
- Overland Park, Kansas – 68.45
- Charleston, South Carolina – 68.44
- Irvine, California – 67.99
- Gilbert, Arizona – 67.96
- San Jose, California – 67.79
- Burlington, Vermont – 67.54
- Madison, Wisconsin – 66.35
- Columbia, Maryland – 66.28
- Chandler, Arizona – 65.69
- Seattle, Washington – 65.62
- Plano, Texas – 65.34
- San Francisco, California – 64.99
- Lincoln, Nebraska – 64.90
- Portland, Maine – 64.59
- Tempe, Arizona – 64.30
- San Diego, California – 64.30
- Raleigh, North Carolina – 63.47
- Peoria, Arizona – 63.38
- Durham, North Carolina – 62.84
- Huntington Beach, California – 62.80
Least happy cities in the US, per WalletHub
Here are the 25 least happy cities in the U.S., and their happiness scores, according to WalletHub’s 2026 list:
- Detroit, Michigan (#182 overall) – 29.55
- Memphis, Tennessee (#181 overall) – 34.39
- Shreveport, Louisiana (#180 overall) – 34.93
- Cleveland, Ohio (#179 overall) – 36.50
- Huntington, West Virginia (#178 overall) – 37.20
- Toledo, Ohio (#177 overall) – 37.21
- Augusta, Georgia (#176 overall) – 38.24
- Fort Smith, Arkansas (#175 overall) – 38.66
- Dover, Delaware (#174 overall) – 39.08
- Akron, Ohio (#173 overall) – 40.11
- Baltimore, Maryland (#172 overall) – 40.28
- Birmingham, Alabama (#171 overall) – 40.37
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana (#170 overall) – 40.47
- Columbus, Georgia (#169 overall) – 40.61
- Montgomery, Alabama (#168 overall) – 41.35
- Gulfport, Mississippi (#167 overall) – 41.65
- Charleston, West Virginia (#166 overall) – 42.18
- Jackson, Mississippi (#165 overall) – 42.60
- St. Louis, Missouri (#164 overall) – 43.53
- Knoxville, Tennessee (#163 overall) – 44.04
- Wilmington, Delaware (#162 overall) – 44.34
- Little Rock, Arkansas (#161 overall) – 44.48
- Mobile, Alabama (#160 overall) – 44.85
- New Orleans, Louisiana (#159 overall) – 45.19
- Tulsa, Oklahoma (#158 overall) – 45.33
Where New England cities ranked
Here are the 12 happiest cities in New England, and their happiness scores, according to WalletHub’s 2026 list:
- South Burlington, Vermont (#6 overall) – 70.15
- Burlington, Vermont (#11 overall) – 67.54
- Portland, Maine (#19 overall) – 64.59
- Nashua, New Hampshire (#27 overall) – 62.49
- Manchester, New Hampshire (#51 overall) – 59.10
- Boston, Massachusetts (#63 overall) – 56.88
- Warwick, Rhode Island (#66 overall) – 56.59
- New Haven, Connecticut (#95 overall) – 54.14
- Bridgeport, Connecticut (#96 overall) – 54.01
- Providence, Rhode Island (#98 overall) – 53.52
- Worcester, Massachusetts (#116 overall) – 50.12
- Lewiston, Maine (#145 overall) – 47.28
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