Vermont Green Football Club stands in solidarity with the people of Minnesota. For too long, ICE has been given the authority to terrorize our most vulnerable neighbors, lawlessly and without accountability. The recent murders of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by U.S. federal agents should horrify those of conscience, and we mourn this senseless loss of life.
With the safety of our own community in mind, we echo the call: ICE OUT!
As a football club in Vermont, we are responsible for the health, safety, and development of athletes from all over the world. Players who sign for Vermont Green represent our beloved community and home.
We take pride in the fact that our fans, our state, and our sport foster diversity, progress, and unity. This is the world’s game, and we will never stop believing in its ability to be a catalyst for a more environmentally sustainable and socially just world.
In this moment, our sport must begin asking difficult questions of itself. Our confidence in the United States’ ability to guarantee the safety of all athletes and fans at the 2026 World Cup is wavering, and we call on the U.S. Soccer Federation and FIFA to address this rising concern directly. We must collectively reject the hijacking of our game for authoritarian political theater and sportswashing.
This country is not fit to host the world’s biggest sporting event if it cannot guarantee that athletes and fans will not be intimidated, abducted, or even killed by violent, untrained federal agents—which we have seen in Minneapolis. Whether at the biggest stadiums in the country, or small ones like our own, everyone deserves to know they are safe.
“Today, we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it.” – Alex Pretti, 1988-2026
In addition to national resources at iceoutforgood.org, Vermonters can support local organizations like Migrant Justice, Vermont Asylum, Vermont Legal Defense Fund.