Race & Identity

Republican Gov. Phil Scott says prohibiting federal immigration authorities from using state-owned prisons to lodge detainees could end up hurting the immigrants that Democratic lawmakers are trying to protect.

After the high-profile arrest of a Vermont resident in Colchester on Monday, Democratic leaders in the Vermont Senate are asking Republican Gov. Phil Scott to terminate a memorandum that allows federal immigration authorities to lodge detainees in state prisons.

Two Champlain Valley Union High School students from Nicaragua are preparing to leave the United States after the Department of Homeland Security terminated the immigration program that had allowed them to reside in Vermont legally, according to school officials.

Outright Vermont is urging state lawmakers to safeguard the rights of youth in Vermont as the Trump administration seeks to rollback protections for LGBTQ+ Americans.

The Vermont Asylum Assistance Project furloughed two legal fellows and closed intake for new cases after an order by the Trump administration cut off a key source of federal funding for the nonprofit.

Legislation approved by the House Tuesday would allow prosecutors to pursue hate crime penalties even when the direct victim of an offense isn't a member of a protected class.

At the largest political rally Vermont has seen since President Donald Trump was inaugurated last month, the crowd erupted into spontaneous chants in support of transgender people, immigrants and other groups that have become early targets of the new administration. The protest was part of a nationwide movement called 50501.

Listen back to conversations with drag queen Sasha Velour, former Gov. Madeleine Kunin, 7-year-old twins from Windham and more.

Paul Yoon, Vermont State University's new chief diversity officer, answers questions about his approach to DEI work and his early efforts since starting the role in October.

The Vermont Human Rights Commission is asking lawmakers and the governor to nearly double its annual budget to address a lack of capacity at the agency.