Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan Meets Vermont Police After Violent ICE Protest Clash

Last month’s violent clash between ICE agents and protesters in South Burlington, Vermont, has left local law enforcement seething—and now Trump’s border czar Tom Homan has shown up to hear their complaints firsthand. Homan, the former ICE director and architect of the administration’s brutal deportation and border security policies, made an unannounced trip to Vermont last Thursday to meet with the Vermont State Police, local agencies, and Governor Phil Scott’s legal counsel.

The meeting came after a disastrous March 11 operation where ICE agents tried to detain a man they claimed had reentered the country illegally. When the man fled and barricaded himself inside a home, hundreds of protesters gathered. Despite local police efforts to de-escalate, ICE insisted on storming the house, sparking chaos that injured both protesters and officers. Later that evening, ICE returned against local advice to retrieve a disabled vehicle, unleashing pepper spray, pepper balls, and flashbangs on remaining protesters.

Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison blasted ICE’s conduct in an after-action report, calling it the worst multi-agency coordination she’d seen in 36 years and warning it could undo years of trust-building between police and the public. Morrison vowed to escalate the issue to senior Department of Homeland Security officials and request a meeting to demand change.

Now, Morrison and other Vermont law enforcement leaders have finally confronted Homan, who reportedly discussed the South Burlington incident and broader law enforcement issues. But details of the meeting remain tightly guarded, with participants refusing interviews and the administration offering only vague statements that Homan frequently tours the country meeting local officials.

This episode underscores the dangerous disconnect between ICE’s aggressive tactics and local policing priorities. It also highlights the Trump administration’s willingness to deploy federal agents who escalate violence and undermine community trust, even when local authorities plead for restraint.

The South Burlington confrontation is far from an isolated incident. It fits a pattern of ICE abuses, militarized responses to protests, and disregard for civil rights that have marked the Trump era. As federal agents continue to overreach, local officials and communities are left to pick up the pieces—and demand accountability.

We will be watching closely to see if this meeting with Homan leads to any real change or if it’s just another photo op in a long line of federal failures to respect local concerns and human rights.