ACLU of Vermont

From legislative halls to local community spaces, you’ll work to mobilize volunteers, shape campaign strategies, and expand our grassroots reach.

For more information about the Summer 2026 Community Outreach Internship and to apply, visit acluvt.org/jobs

The ACLU of Vermont is looking for a highly motivated Community Outreach Intern to join our team for Summer 2026. If you are committed to challenging injustice and shaping the future of civil rights and civil liberties in Vermont, this is your opportunity.

Applications are Open for our Summer 2026 Community Outreach Intern!

For the comprehensive breakdown of our legislative work and what comes next, visit acluvt.org/news.

We are also focused on ensuring access to shelter and essential health care for Vermonters in need. Thanks to your support, we have seen significant progress on our priority bills while pushing back on harmful policies that would lead our state in the wrong direction.

The advocates at the ACLU of Vermont have been working alongside our allies to advance civil liberties through tighter restrictions on immigration enforcement and new accountability measures for unconstitutional government actions.

We have officially hit the crossover deadline, marking the midpoint of the legislative session in the State House.

But there is hope in the growing recognition that these rogue agencies cannot be reformed. It’s time to stop funding a toxic culture and start protecting our rights.

Read the latest op-ed at acluvt.org/news to see why we must demand our leaders reject this status quo.

In his latest op-ed, Duff unmasks a decades-long pattern of abuse and impunity within ICE and Border Patrol that predates any single administration. With 62% of Americans now realizing these agents make our communities less safe, we’ve reached a breaking point.

Executive Director, James Duff Lyall, has spent 20 years on the front lines of immigration advocacy—from the detention centers of Southern California to the borderlands of Arizona and right here in Vermont with the ACLU of Vermont.

Not an attorney? Help us spread the word, or consider making a donation to @vt_legal_defense_fund today to support essential legal services in our state.

Full details and the link to register available at acluvt.org/thp

We are just days away from our training on Thursday, February 26th. The Habeas Project of New England is calling on all federal litigators based in Vermont to volunteer and help us challenge wrongful ICE detentions.

Check out our recent blog post at acluvt.org/news to send a message to your lawmakers. Let them know you support economic justice and a Vermont that everyone can afford.

We need revenue to respond to these budget shortfalls. It's important to let your elected leaders know that you support increasing taxes on the wealthiest Vermonters to raise state revenue, including through H.621. Increased revenue strengthens our infrastructure, healthcare, housing, & environment.

The federal budget passed last summer gave each Vermonter in the top 1% an average tax cut of $57,000 — more than the average Vermonter makes in a year. Meanwhile, many are struggling to make ends meet while facing deep cuts to essential federal programs.

Vermont’s wealthiest need to pay their fair share.

We’ll be diving into our constitutional protections and how to exercise them effectively right here in Vermont. RSVP at balint.house.gov/forms/form/?ID=89

We hope you can join us!

Following the events in Minnesota, it’s clearer than ever that we must be equipped with the tools to defend our constitutional rights.

We are proud to partner with Representative Becca Balint and her team this Thursday for a virtual Know Your Rights training to ensure every Vermonter feels empowered and protected.

We need your voice TODAY. Please contact your senators and urge them to vote YES on this important legislation.

S.209 provides vital protections for our neighbors by ensuring that "sensitive locations"—including schools, hospitals, and community shelters—remain safe zones free from the threat of civil arrests.

S.208 demands essential police accountability by requiring all officers to clearly display their names or badge numbers and prohibiting the use of masks or disguises that hide their identity.

Two major bills (S.208 & S.209) are hitting the Senate floor this week. The fundamental safety and transparency of our communities are on the line, and we need a "YES" vote to ensure police transparency and keep our schools and hospitals safe from civil arrests.

Go to acluvt.org/news to access our toolkit for writing public comments on Medicare/Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care. Submit your comment today and share this post to your stories!

Right now, federal regulations are being proposed that would weaponize health care funding to strip away transition-related care. This isn’t just policy—it’s an attempt to take away the autonomy of transgender youth and their families. We need every Vermonter to weigh in now.

The deadline to submit your public comment and protect gender-affirming care is Tuesday, February 17th. This is it—our final window to tell the Trump administration to keep its hands off our health care.

This is a free event, but registration is required! There will also be a recording of this session for those who cannot attend live. Register at commongoodvt.org/events, and we look forward to seeing you on February 11.

Our very own Lia Ernst, Legal Director at ACLU-VT, will join Big Hartman from the Vermont Human Rights Commission and Jonathan Rose from the Office of the Attorney General for this panel discussion.

We are proud to be partnering with Common Good Vermont, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, and the Vermont Human Rights Commission to offer this vital webinar. Together, we will break down the legalities of federal actions and what they mean for the work we do here in Vermont.