US Expands Immigration Detention with Largest Midwest Center Amid Trump Crackdown

President Trump’s administration is intensifying its immigration crackdown through expanded detention and enforcement efforts, impacting immigrants nationwide. In Vermont, a growing group of young attorneys, led by the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, is actively defending immigrants who are often shuffled between jails to hinder legal representation. The recent Supreme Court decision lifted an injunction preventing the use of the National Guard and military for immigration raids in Los Angeles, raising concerns that such enforcement tactics could spread nationwide. Meanwhile, communities like Baldwin, Michigan, are coping with remote immigration detention centers that have expanded rapidly under Trump’s policies, with private prison companies benefiting from increased federal contracts. These developments highlight the broader national debate around immigration enforcement, community impact, and legal rights. Latino communities, in particular, face unique cultural and mental health challenges amid these pressures, emphasizing the intersection of identity, belonging, and resilience in the immigration experience.