I have watched friends I know and respect live in fear this past year, not because they have done anything wrong, but because the Trump administration’s immigration policies are unjustly targeting them. The March 11 ICE raid in South Burlington is the most striking local example of this violent federal action, but since January 2025, Minneapolis to Los Angeles, thousands of Americans have borne witness to scenes like the one we saw that day.

The Trump administration has dismantled refugee protections, ended temporary protected status for Afghan nationals, and allowed ICE to conduct unlawful detentions. Right here in Vermont, federal officials have detained more than 900 people for immigration-related reasons. We have seen cases of Afghans who served alongside U.S. forces detained for over 100 days without access to legal counsel, only to be ordered released by a federal judge who found no basis for their detention.

The fear is real. Families are scared. Our federal delegation, our attorney general, our treasurer, and our lawmakers are fighting for these vulnerable Vermonters and others who reside in our state as students and workers. Vermont needs a Lt. Governor who will help them hold the line.

That’s why I’m supporting Molly Gray for Lt. Governor. Unlike any other candidate in this race, Molly has been in the middle of this fight, not as a bystander, but as a frontline advocate. Molly helped build the Vermont Afghan Alliance as its executive director. In this role, she helped more than 650 Afghan allies rebuild their lives in Vermont. The Alliance has helped our Afghan neighbors find jobs, housing, drivers licenses, and legal services. Molly personally helped defend Afghan allies facing unlawful ICE detention under this administration.

As Lt. Governor, Molly will fight to ensure anyone detained by ICE in Vermont has access to legal counsel, interpretation services, and due process. She will push back against the use of Vermont’s corrections system to hold people for civil immigration violations. And she will never hesitate to speak out and fight back.

Vermont needs a Lt. Governor that will fight for our values, not just in words, but in experience and tangible action. Molly has demonstrated her ability to tirelessly advocate for Vermonters, and this Aug. 11, she has my vote.

Cynthia Packert
Weybridge