Young Vermont Student and Mother Detained While Traveling: Community Responds
In a troubling development that has shaken a Vermont school community, a 7-year-old second-grade student and his mother were detained by immigration authorities during what should have been a simple family visit over the Thanksgiving break. According to Winooski School District Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria, the pair were traveling out of state to visit relatives when they “made a wrong turn” and were stopped by federal immigration agents. The boy failed to return to JFK Elementary School after the holiday, prompting school officials to contact his home. His father, still in Winooski, reported he had been unable to reach his wife and son since Thursday, triggering alarm among school administrators who soon discovered the detention.
This detention represents an unprecedented situation for the Winooski community. “We’ve had caregivers be detained and deported here in Winooski but we’ve never had one of our children be taken into custody by ICE,” Chavarria noted in his public statement. The superintendent strongly condemned what he called “the abduction of one of our 2nd graders and his mother,” describing it as “yet another example of the terror our families face simply by doing things other people take for granted—going to school, shopping for groceries, or just visiting family.” The boy and his mother are currently being held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge who will determine whether they may remain in the United States.
The timing of this incident is particularly significant as it occurs against the backdrop of intensified immigration enforcement across the country. The current federal administration has announced plans for what it describes as the largest deportation operation in American history, targeting people living in the country without legal status. While officials have stated they intend to prioritize those with serious criminal records—”the worst of the worst”—this case highlights how enforcement can impact families with no criminal history, including young children. The Winooski School District had actually taken preemptive steps to protect its diverse student population, becoming the first district in Vermont to pass a “sanctuary schools” policy earlier this year specifically aimed at shielding immigrant students and families from immigration enforcement actions.
The school district has mobilized quickly to provide support on multiple fronts. They worked to locate the detained student and his mother, connected them with legal assistance, and provided the father who remains in Winooski with $1,000 from a private emergency fund to help manage the crisis. While an ICE spokesperson confirmed the detention in a statement, saying the pair would remain at the processing center pending their hearing, Superintendent Chavarria called for “their immediate release” and urged the US government to “bring basic humanity and due process back,” emphasizing that the second-grader “should be in his classroom, not in a detention cell.”
This case highlights the profound human impact of immigration enforcement policies on communities and educational institutions. Schools across the country increasingly find themselves navigating complex terrain as they work to fulfill their primary educational mission while also supporting students and families caught in immigration proceedings. The Winooski district, which likely serves a diverse student population, now faces the challenge of supporting not only the detained student and his family but also addressing the fears and concerns this incident may have raised among other immigrant families in their community. The district’s quick action to provide financial and legal support demonstrates how schools increasingly serve as critical safety nets for vulnerable families.
As this situation unfolds, questions remain about what legal options are available to the family and how the community might continue to advocate for the student’s return. The outcome of their immigration hearing will determine whether they can return to their home and school in Vermont or face removal from the country. Meanwhile, the case adds to growing national conversation about immigration enforcement priorities, the impact of detentions on families and communities, and the role of local institutions like schools in protecting vulnerable populations. For the Winooski community, the immediate concern remains bringing their young student back to where he belongs—in his second-grade classroom, continuing his education alongside his peers.
