Founded in 2016 by Vermont resident Steve Crofter, CASP provides critical legal and social services and community for individuals and families seeking asylum in the U.S. and living in Vermont. Since its founding, CASP has offered direct services to asylum seekers from Latin America, the Caribbean, Central and Southeast Asia, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa who are seeking a life free from violence, persecution and torture, as well as reunification with loved ones.
We currently serve 32 asylum seekers who live in the Brattleboro area, attend Brattleboro schools, and work in Brattleboro’s businesses. Our support to them is offered with the help of a network of more than 200 volunteers who orient asylum seekers to the community and help them navigate the process of resettlement. Asylum seekers receive no federal funding—all of our work is individual donation and grant funded.
CASP continues to provide housing, legal aid, community orientation, language learning, school enrollment, medical and mental health care, job training and placement, and other services to southern Vermont’s immigrant community. CASP also collaborates with a statewide grassroots coalition which has offered direct support to 200 asylum seekers and counting. In 2022, CASP launched the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) in partnership with immigrant support organizations to address the shortage of pro bono immigration attorneys in Vermont and broaden access to justice for asylum seekers. VAAP, now its own nonprofit, is now providing legal representation for asylum seekers and mentorship for attorneys looking to represent them.
CASP is currently expanding its services and capacity to meet the growing need for services for asylum seekers in Vermont.
