The Highgate Springs border crossing with Canada in 2021. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
Arnaldo Gregorio Alay Aguilar was following his navigation system while delivering a truckload of logs to New York and ended up at Vermont’s Highgate Springs border crossing into Canada.
Canadian officers would not let him back up the truck for safety reasons, his lawyers say. So he was forced to cross through, make a U-turn and report to a border official on the U.S. side.
That detour led to the 40-year-old trucker being held in federal custody for three weeks. But the government did not make a case for why, according to court documents.
The situation has similarities to a pattern that emerged in recent immigration operations in Burlington and South Burlington, where government lawyers failed to provide evidence when seeking to hold people picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford ordered Alay Aguilar’s immediate release last week “given the nature of the constitutional violations in this case,” according to the court order.
Federal officials “failed to provide Petitioner with a charging document or to articulate a clear or legally sufficient basis for his detention,” his lawyers stated in court filings.
In his order, Crawford noted that the government had offered no justification except a reinterpretation of the Immigration and Nationality Act as it applies to people who originally entered the U.S. without authorization and have been living in the country. Alay Aguilar has a pending asylum application from October 2025.
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Federal lawyers argued that a person in his situation is subject to mandatory detention and not entitled to a bond hearing, at which an immigration judge would consider whether the person is a flight risk or a danger to the community.
That reinterpretation, Crawford determined, was wrong.
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Amid the Trump administration’s continued crackdown on immigration, federal judges in Vermont this year have issued a string of rebukes to ICE for violating people’s constitutional rights while detaining them.
Nathan Virag, one of the lawyers who represented Alay Aguilar in federal court in Burlington, said the government had no grounds for holding his client.
“This is a person who did not try to leave the United States. It was an inadvertent reroute that should not count as a departure from the United States,” Virag told VTDigger. Virag is a lawyer with the Association of Africans Living in Vermont.
Co-counsel Erin Jacobsen, a lawyer with the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, said the hearing March 25 was brief and featured “very little argument by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Spokespeople for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions via email about the case.
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Alay Aguilar’s description of what happened when he reached the Canadian border March 5 is contained in the habeas corpus petition filed in U.S. District Court on March 23, the federal response filed March 24 and the judge’s order filed March 25.
A citizen of Ecuador, Alay Aguilar lives in North Carolina and had applied for asylum in October 2025, according to court filings. That case is pending.
A long-haul truck driver with a valid commercial driver’s license, he recently took up an extra gig — to haul timber from Vermont to New York — to pay for an immigration lawyer for an upcoming asylum-related hearing, according to his lawyers’ petition.
Alay Aguilar inadvertently crossed into Canada at Highgate Springs, one of the busiest border crossings in New England, while following directions on the truck’s navigation system, the petition said.
Canadian border personnel, who communicated with Alay Aguilar in Spanish, would not let him reverse the truck for safety reasons.
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When Alay Aguilar tried to reenter the U.S., a Customs and Border Protection official gestured for him to exit the truck and walk into a building, which he did.
In the building, Alay Aguilar was allowed to communicate using Google translator on his phone. Officials said there was a problem with the truck’s manifest and ordered him to call the owner, which he did. CBP officials then spoke with the owner in English and did not translate the conversation, court documents state.
Officials then confiscated his phone and handed it to an ICE official. ICE personnel then handcuffed Alay Aguilar and drove him to an office about 15 minutes away where he was detained for about three hours, according to court documents, before being moved to Northwest State Correctional Facility and held there.
Court filings indicate Alay Aguilar fled Ecuador and entered the United States around November 2023. He was detained by the Department of Homeland Security near the Mexican border and held for a few weeks, after which he accepted the government’s offer to fly him to New York so he could pursue asylum outside of detention, his lawyers said in their petition.
He relocated to Charlotte, N.C., and applied for asylum. He received work authorization and is currently employed by a local company in North Carolina. He has lived and worked in North Carolina for two years, where he has friends and a serious girlfriend, his lawyers said in court documents.
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“There were no changed circumstances after his release on his own recognizance in 2023, no criminal history, so it really was an unconstitutional detention,” Virag said in an interview.
Cases arising out of accidental border crossings are based on Homeland Security officials “misinterpreting” decades-old rules meant to punish people making an initial entry into the United States or those who are a danger to the community and pose a flight risk, Virag said. Judge Crawford noted in his order that Alay Aguilar had not been found to present a danger or a flight risk.
“These detentions serve no legitimate government purpose or interest,” Virag said.
Similar border crossing detentions last year — involving Alexi and his family and Jose Ignacio “Nacho” De La Cruz and his stepdaughter, for instance — illustrate some of the tactics CBP have used on noncitizens amid detention quotas mandated by the Trump administration.
As for Alay Aguilar, his detention was one of “fear, confusion, isolation, and hopelessness,” his lawyers said in court filings.
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“This case had a good outcome, but Mr. Alay Aguilar was subjected to 20 days of detention with absolutely no due process whatsoever — a completely unjustified, inexcusable, traumatizing abuse of power,” Jacobsen said.
“In many ways, Arnaldo’s case was like the other unconstitutional detentions we’ve seen, with our government arresting and detaining people outside of regular and constitutionally required procedures,” she added.
And his lawyers would not have known about his case were it not for the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project’s detention check program, she said. Under that program, lawyers and interpreters proactively visit the detention centers in Vermont. Alay Aguilar was found at the St. Albans prison during one such visit on March 18, she said.
Now that Alay Aguilar has been freed, he is back in North Carolina.
“He will be able to resume what he was doing before his apprehension — working, taking care of his family and continuing to pursue his asylum case,” Jacobsen said.
ARLINGTON — The Preservation Trust of Vermont has officially presented The Arlington Common and Nick Albert of Albert Construction with a 2026 Preservation Award at the annual Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference.
The Preservation Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the preservation and revitalization of Vermont’s historic buildings and community spaces. The Arlington Common was selected for its “exceptional impact on community gathering and historic stewardship.”
The success of The Arlington Common relies heavily on the dedication of local partners who brought the vision to life. Among the key honorees was Albert Construction, led by Nick Albert, whose exceptional craftsmanship and dedication to historic integrity were vital to the project’s completion.
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“Preserving historic structures requires more than just standard construction; it demands a deep respect for original materials, architecture, and community legacy,” said Don Trachte, Head of the Buildings and Grounds Committee and Arlington Common Board Member. “Nick Albert and the team at Albert Construction went above and beyond to ensure that every detail honored the past while engineering a space that will serve Arlington for generations to come.”
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.
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Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.
Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.
Here’s a look at June 25, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Gimme 5 numbers from June 25 drawing
13-14-18-21-22
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 25 drawing
Day: 2-1-4
Evening: 0-7-1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 25 drawing
Day: 5-4-4-9
Evening: 5-5-1-1
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Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 25 drawing
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.
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For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.
All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.
Vermont Lottery Headquarters
1311 US Route 302, Suite 100
Barre, VT
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05641
When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?
Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily
What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?
Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Champlain Valley senior Zoey McNabb has been named the Vermont high school girls track and field athlete for the 2026 season, Gatorade announced Thursday, June 25.
The Gatorade award recognizes athletes for their on-field success, high academic achievement and exemplary character.
In her first year as a competitive runner, the 5-foot-7 McNabb broke long-held state records in the 1500- and 3000-meter races this past spring with times of 4 minutes, 28.59 seconds and 9:24.58, respectively. At the Division I state meet, she swept both events to help the Redhawks claim a team championship three-peat.
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More: Why Vermont track and field officials reversed decision on 1,500 state record
Her 3,000 time ranked fourth nationally; her 1,500 performance was good for 12th. At the New England championship meet, McNabb took second in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600. She also ran in five events at New Balance Nationals, where she set the state record in the two mile.
An all-state basketball player for CVU, she has volunteered locally at the Green Mountain Montessori School in Essex in addition to donating her time as a youth basketball coach, according to the news release.
“Zoey was fearless this spring, attacking decades-old records and destroying them,” BFA-St. Albans coach Mike Mashtare said in a statement. “What made her special was how effortless she made it look with her smooth stride and relaxed running style.”
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McNabb has maintained an unweighted 4.27 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a written letter of athletic aid to compete on scholarship at the University of Vermont this fall.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every player of the year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
ContactAlex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
