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South Burlington officials defend on‑scene choices after March 11 ICE operation; police chief lays out timeline
Summary
City Manager Jesse Baker and Police Chief Breaux told the council they limited local involvement during an ICE operation to protect public safety and announced a comprehensive review of use‑of‑force; the briefing prompted sustained public outcry and calls for independent accountability.
City Manager Jesse Baker opened the council meeting on March 16 by describing the March 11 immigration enforcement operation in South Burlington and urging a transparent review of city actions and community impacts. "I serve as the city manager here in South Burlington," Baker said, and framed the evening as an opportunity to explain "the events of March 11, the actions we took in response to the ICE actions, [and] the investigations that are underway."
Police Chief Breaux then gave a detailed chronological account of the day, saying officers responded to an initial crash at about 7:38 a.m., that ICE agents attempted to box a vehicle near Dorset Commons, and that protests grew as social media circulated images. Chief Breaux described coordinating a unified command post, monitoring body‑worn camera footage, and keeping local officers positioned to "protect 1st Amendment rights" and limit force. Breaux said some choices—such as forming a local/state barrier while ICE executed a criminal arrest and search warrant—were intended to reduce what he described as potentially greater force by out‑of‑state federal tactical teams. "I firmly believe that the actions of chief Breaux and the South Burlington police officers ensured a higher level of safety for our community than we would have experienced had they not been there," Baker said during his opening remarks.
Breaux told the council that ICE deployed a flashbang and chemical agents during a later entry and that three people were detained, none of whom matched the original administrative target. He acknowledged disagreements with ICE tactics and said he repeatedly raised concerns with ICE supervisors and with the U.S. attorney's office. Breaux announced multiple reviews: internal use‑of‑force review, a use‑of‑force committee review and a minute‑by‑minute incident reconstruction drawing on more than 100 hours of body‑worn camera footage. "Every use of force will be reviewed," he said.
Councilors pressed the chief about when local officers may lawfully assist ICE; Breaux cited the city’s fair and impartial policing policy and said local assistance is discretionary and tied to immediate public‑safety threats. The council did not take formal action on the briefing but asked staff to return with follow‑ups on communications and the review timeline.
This account reflects the city's presentation and staff statements at the March 16 meeting; independent reviews and other agencies' footage were discussed as pending and subject to later release.
