Sen. Ingalls (R) responds to voters — Vermonters deserve better
, on May 06, 2025
MONTPELIER — When the Vermont Senate had the chance to stand up for due process and freedom of speech, Republican state Senator Russ Ingalls voted no. That alone was shameful.
But what he did next was worse.
After Senator Ingalls (R-Essex District) voted against Senate Resolution 13 — which condemned the unconstitutional arrest of Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal U.S. resident and longtime member of the Upper Valley community — a constituent from Derby, Natalie G., reached out. She urged him to reconsider. She asked him to stand up for our basic rights.
Here's what she wrote:
But what he did next was worse.
After Senator Ingalls (R-Essex District) voted against Senate Resolution 13 — which condemned the unconstitutional arrest of Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal U.S. resident and longtime member of the Upper Valley community — a constituent from Derby, Natalie G., reached out. She urged him to reconsider. She asked him to stand up for our basic rights.
Here's what she wrote:
"Every person in our country is entitled to due process under the law, and the circumstances surrounding Mohsen Mahdawi's detention raise serious concerns. I hope you will reconsider your position and stand up for the constitutional rights of all people in Vermont. Your vote was not in the best interest of the Vermonters you are tasked to represent."
Senator Russ Ingalls had a choice: to listen, or to lash out. He chose the latter.
Senator Ingalls responded not with respect, but with condescension and cruelty:
Senator Ingalls responded not with respect, but with condescension and cruelty:
"Natalie, he is receiving due process. Do your homework and don't follow the crowd… He will be deported rightfully so."
His response reveals the truth: Senator Ingalls doesn't just defend injustice — he mocks Vermonters who speak out against it.
Let us be clear: Mohsen Mahdawi is a legal U.S. resident and has lived in Vermont for over 10 years.
Let us be clear: Mohsen Mahdawi is a legal U.S. resident and has lived in Vermont for over 10 years.
He was detained without warning or explanation by plainclothes ICE agents with covered faces.
His family was not told where he was.
That is not due process. That is not justice. That is a violation of everything Vermont stands for.
And Russ Ingalls is defending it — while belittling those who dare to care.
Senator Russ Ingalls is a Republican under Governor Phil Scott's leadership — does the Governor condone this rhetoric and behavior? Is this what the Vermont Republican Party stands for?
At a time when far-right politicians are trying to rewrite the rules and working to silence dissent, we need leaders who will defend the Constitution — not twist it to justify cruelty.
Vermonters deserve answers and accountability.
The Vermont Democratic Party will not be silent.
We will stand with Vermonters like Natalie. We will stand with Mohsen. And we will fight for a Vermont — and a country — where decency, justice, and basic rights are not up for debate.
That is not due process. That is not justice. That is a violation of everything Vermont stands for.
And Russ Ingalls is defending it — while belittling those who dare to care.
Senator Russ Ingalls is a Republican under Governor Phil Scott's leadership — does the Governor condone this rhetoric and behavior? Is this what the Vermont Republican Party stands for?
At a time when far-right politicians are trying to rewrite the rules and working to silence dissent, we need leaders who will defend the Constitution — not twist it to justify cruelty.
Vermonters deserve answers and accountability.
The Vermont Democratic Party will not be silent.
We will stand with Vermonters like Natalie. We will stand with Mohsen. And we will fight for a Vermont — and a country — where decency, justice, and basic rights are not up for debate.