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By Guy Page
An August 13 letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to Gov. Phil Scott and copied to Attorney General Charity Clark threatens loss of federal funding and criminal charges against public officials unless Vermont commits to ending sanctuary state immigration policies.
VDC has contacted Scott adminstration press officials for comment, and will publish a response when received. In other press reports, Scott has repeated his contention – oft-published in VDC – that Vermont is not a sanctuary state and thus should not face retribution.
Bondi’s letter does not outline specific allegations of violations of federal law committed by the Scott administration, but she does require Scott to send a “letter that confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement.”
A similar letter was sent to governors of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Scott is the only Republican among the governors. The full text of Bondi’s letters is published below, with highlights added by the editor:
Dear Governor Scott,
“The United States has a long history of cooperation with state and local law enforcement‘agencies, including for immigration enforcement. Such cooperation is vital to enforce federal law and protect national security. Recognizing that need, Congress has codified the duty of states and local governments to cooperate in immigration enforcement efforts.
For too long, so-called sanctuary jurisdiction policies have undermined this necessary cooperation and obstructed federal immigration enforcement, giving aliens cover to perpetrate: crimes in our communities and evade the immigration consequences that federal law requires.
Under President Trump’s leadership, full cooperation by state and local governments in immigration enforcement efforts is a top priority. To ensure such cooperation, the President has directed the Attorney General of the United States, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to identify sanctuary jurisdictions and notify them of their unlawful sanctuary status and potential violations of federal law. Additionally, the President directed federal agencies to identify and evaluate their statutory authority to issue grants, contracts, and. federal funds, to determine where immigration-related terms and conditions may be added to combat sanctuary policies that violate federal immigration law. See Executive Order 14,287, Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens, 90 Fed. Reg. 18761 (April 28, 2025). As contemplated by the Executive Order, designation as a sanctuary jurisdiction may result in additional consequences and further agency actions as permitted by law. See id.
As the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, I am commitied to identifying state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations, and taking legal action to challenge such laws, policies, or practices. Individuals operating under the color of law, using their official position to obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts and facilitating or inducing illegal immigration ‘may be subject to criminal charges. As such, I have instructed that all litigating components of the Department and cach U.S. Attorney’s Office shall investigate incidents involving any such ‘potential unlawful conduct and shall, where supported by the evidence, prosecute violations of federal laws such as 8 U.S.C. § 1324, 18 U.S.C. § 371, 18 U.S.C. § 1071, and 18 US.C. § 1505. State and local entities, particularly those with policies in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1373 and § 1644, may also be subject to civil liability.
Further, pursuant to President Trump’s directive in Executive Order 14,287, the Department has compiled a list of sanctuary jurisdictions. This list is based on a review of laws, policies, and practices of the identified jurisdictions.
You are hereby notified that your jurisdiction has been identified as one that engages in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States. This ends now. By Tuesday, August 19, 2025, please submit a response to this letter that confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement. This leter does not constitute final agency action and nothing in this letter creates any right or benefit enforceable at law against the United States.
Sincerely,
Pamela Bondi
Attomney General
cc: Charity Clark
Vermont Attorney General
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609
In an apparent pushback against the threat to limit federal funding, Clark announced Monday, August 18 she has joined with other attorneys general opposing the Trump administration attaching immigration requirements to $1 billion in funding for victims of crime:
“Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to unlawfully impose immigration enforcement requirements on over $1 billion dollars in annual U.S. Department of Justice Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants. These grants are unrelated to federal civil immigration enforcement and are used by states to protect public safety and provide critical resources and services to victims and survivors of crime, including victims of domestic violence. In the lawsuit filed today, the coalition argues that imposing this new set of conditions across VOCA grant programs is arbitrary and capricious, exceeds U.S. DOJ’s legal authority, and violates the Spending Clause.”
What makes a state a sanctuary jurisdiction? The Department of Justice published the following list of sanctuary criteria, some of which seem to apply to Vermont:
- Public Declarations: Cities, states, or counties that publicly declare themselves a sanctuary jurisdiction or equivalent, with the intent to undermine federal immigration enforcement.
- Laws, Ordinances, Executive Directives: Cities, states, or counties that have laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other formalized practices that obstruct or limit local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- Restrictions on Information Sharing: Cities, states, or counties that limit whether and how local agencies share information about immigration status of detainees with federal authorities.
- Funding Restrictions: Cities, states, or counties that prohibit local funds or resources from being used to support federal immigration enforcement efforts.
- Non-cooperation with Federal Immigration Enforcement: Cities, states, or counties that provide training to city employees and police on enforcing sanctuary policies and declining to respond to ICE requests for information.
- Limits on ICE Detainers: Cities, states, or counties that refuse to honor ICE detainer requests unless there is a warrant signed by a judge.
- Jail Access Restrictions: Cities, states, or counties that restrict ICE agents’ ability to interview detainees absent detainee consent.
- Immigrant Community Affairs Offices: Cities, states, or counties that create dedicated offices to engage and advise illegal alien communities on evading federal law enforcement officers.
- Federal Benefit Programs: Cities, states, or counties that circumvent federal laws prohibiting the provision of federal benefits to illegal aliens and provide them with access to benefits, including health care assistance, legal aid, food and housing assistance, and other subsidies. This includes cities, states, or counties that establish stand-alone benefit programs or equivalents.
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Categories: Border
Vermont progressives cannot have their federal funding cake and eat it too. Antagonizing the source of a significant portion of Vermont’s funding appears to be Charity Clark’s primary goal, aided by Becca Balint, Bernie Sanders, and Peter Welch. Once upon a time, it was the job of our federal officials to bring home the Vermont bacon. This crew is pissing on the fire, and then complains when they can’t both defy federal law and insist on more funds from the federal coffers. Obama deported 3 million people, but somewhere the Dems got the brilliant idea that supporting criminals at taxpayer (and victim) expense was their new cult policy.
Charity Clark does not represent all Vermonters, which makes her particularly offfensive. Balint, Sanders and Welch are not public officers sworn to uphold the law on behalf of all. Charity Clark should face the jail time threatened by Bondi! lol And just look at the travesty Burlington has become!
John, Charity should be removed from office for violating her oath
Biting the hand that feeds them ? (and us)
VERY well stated John. Again, I am embarrassed for the my (native) State of Vermont!
When the going gets tough, the not so tough form a “multi-state”. Vote these illegal loving, disingenuous politicians out of office !
There is a constitutional amendment to end all privledge in the state. This applies to financial, social and political. The change states that Vermont defines equality broadly. The United Nations in the Declaration of Human Rights defines equality broadly aligned to the socialist/socialist-democratic conversation as a means to correct the “unnatural inequities” that exist amoung various democratics. The Constitutional Amendment doesn’t define”privilege”. Although, state employee DEI and DEI-Racial training courses include the Wheel of Privilege. The privledge to be eradicated/ended includes white privilege or whiteness as a form of power; privledge associated with being a citizen of the country versus being a migrant (And we aren’t a sanctuary state, really?), privledge associated with being skinny; speaking English; and owning a home. This is even privilege associated with being a member of the middle class. This is full blown rebranded socialism aka Equity.
Please come get all the illegals in Vermont! Taxpayers are tired of paying Democrats to give our money away to people that don’t deserve it and don’t belong here!
Exactly! This is what I voted for! Our taxes are crazy enough without being spent on people who don’t deserve these benefits and on stupid lawsuits against a President who is doing exactly what most Americans voted for!
Finally! The federal government and executive branch is strong arming our state. Wouldn’t it just be better to have the feds in charge? I mean, the more control the feds play the better, eh? Withholding funds from Vermont is a tactic every president should use to get their agenda across. This is definitely NOT a fascist power grab. When is the “anti-vermont” parade?
If states are breaking federal immigration laws and civil rights, then yes, withholding funding is appropriate.
Federalism is a system that demands equal obescience across states to maintain civil order. This assures fair access to civil society and benefits as well so to demonstrate to this dark world that a Constitutional Republic can function better than any form of tyranny or monarchy such as socialism, dictatorship and anarchy.
Governor’s take an Oath to uphold, obey and defend these and the laws of all levels of the Republic. The very definition of sedition is to cherry pick and ignore laws found disagreeable to the individual or subdivision of the Republic.
Testing the lawfulness or fairness of any action by the Federal authority is a matter for the representative legislative branch or the courts… NOT THE PRIVELEGE OF CRONY MOCKINGBIRDS LIKE SCOTT AND AG CLARK!
States are free to do much of what they want under the 10th Amendment, however it doesn’t guarantee any money coming their way if they don’t play by the rules set for everyone that others are cooperating with. Want to get paid, follow the rules
I dispute your use of the word “we”.
Ok then, so what ARE we considered when we have a volatile activist group like Migrant Justice calling the shots when it comes to enforcing anything to do with illegal immigrants? This is a group cromprised of illegal immigrants who lobby and fight (ostensibly) for other illegal immigrants while somehow receiving federal funding plus donations from Vermonters who have been duped into thinking that all the illegal farmworkers here in VT are being horribly abused and taken advantage of by dairy farmers. They also have some kind of link to the Vermont Bar Association which further makes them believe they are untouchable by law enforcement and ICE.
Why are they allowed to rent an office space in Burlington? Why are they allowed to harass the dairy farmers? Why is no one investigating what they actually use donor funds for (hint: it does NOT get used to bail illegal workers out of jail or help them with daily living, in spite of what donors are led to believe).
And why is no one investigating the fact that illegal workers are using forged/stolen SS cards and Permanent Resident cards to obtain work, and that this has been happening for at least a decade? Funny that no one wants to talk about that issue.
If we are not ‘officially’ a sanctuary state, we certainly seem to be behaving like one.
Still waiting for the Epstein files, Pam.
Well, one thing we know about the Epstein Files is there is nothing in there usable against President Trump, because the Democrats would have used it when they had control of the files. They would have used everything at hand more than they did to stop him. But there is still three years before the end of the release time expiration of his term, besides entire released was promised and entire release has been blocked by Dem Federal Court Judges.
The Democrats didn’t push for a release because there are likely Democrats in the files. So you can “file” this right alongside all the other non-prosecutions that we’ll see. It’s why Trump let the Clinton email server scandal slide (“it wouldn’t be good for the country”). Because beneath all the fog-machine headlines they’re all on the same team.
I love Bondi’s letter!!!
Susan, I thought it was important to publish the whole thing, rather than try to paraphrase. Glad you liked it!
Gov. Scott, AG Clark, et al, Vermonters prefer a law and order state. Party affiliation has no bearing, it happens to be Constitutional, both federal and state. It’s now time to catch up on your reading and follow your oath of office. All of you who ignore or purposely perform contrawise are guilty of maladministration and will be indicted by a grand jury. No one is above the law.
This ends now. By Tuesday, August 19, 2025, please submit a response to this letter that confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement. This is mandatory and required by “We the Vermonters “
If we are a Sanctuary state why are we not bringing in South African Afrikaners? Christian family farmers that are being killed due to violent racism in their country. It is a perfect fit. We need family farms.
Please read my comment which explains state doesn’t want these refugees. They are not wanted because they are white, see my comment on the state’s wheel of privilege. According to the State if Vermont, all white people are privileged including white refugees.
Is it plausible that the deep-blue, scattered – yet unified, entrenched, modern day confederates can grandstand their way to civil war against the Federales? Or is it just a show while more thieving and more ritualistic sacrifices take place before the rug pull? Word going around about alien invasion, space rocks, emerging diseases, weather events, and war staging in waters north to south, east to west. Congress and SCOTUS enjoying their vacations. The White House and the Federal Reserve being renovated and adorned with luxury and excess. Meanwhile, a majority of Americans are struggling to pay their bills and buy groceries.
All this makes the 1970’s look like the best of times ever. Same playbook, nonetheless. Iran, Russia, China….booga booga. Carry on!
Democrats love strong Federal Government controlling everything in lives for all States with edicts from Washington DC, as long as they are issuing the edicts for what the like
There are several angles to the divisional reality between the State of VT a la Scott
and the Federal Gov’t. There does not need to be a lot of effort to discover that a few
years ago, there was an event called Tropical Storm Irene, which wreaked havoc all across the Northeast including Vermont. Many out of state National Guard resources including manpower, equipment and logistical assets were utilized to ease the need factor that was elevated beyond belief by this storm. Now these circumstances were indeed much different than recently experienced, and perpetrated by One-Way- Phil.
Denying the Federal system a request for trained personnel to assist in the Nationwide effort to cleanup the mess so needlessly created by previous administration officials is not productive, and does not serve to accomplish the need .
The mind boggling coming out of Montpelier just continues to ebb and flow, with the
ebbing and flowing chief himself, Phil Scott.
God Bless our VT National Guard, and all they do for humanity, when called upon.
When I was serving, refusal of a lawful order was ground for a court-martial.
I doubt there will be a court-martial, but stay tuned; it isn’t over yet.
Hear hear! Let common sense and the order of law prevail! Enough with the Marxist nonsense—a mix of stupidity, moral insanity and toxic empathy. And we can add total ingratitude for the freedoms we enjoy in our country crafted by the Founding Fathers that for some reason lunatics are desperately trying to destroy.
With Scott it’s CYA. Strange bed fellows Scott and Clark, seems to be the same mentality. In VT that’s not shocking. The Dome air is liberalizing intoxicating. Hope heads roll for the fakers.
this is going to short and sweet and direct to the point.. All Politicians of both Houses and both parties & those in county and towns who walked outside of our CONSTITUTION THESE MULTIPLE DECADES should be picked up and sent to GITMO for their trial before a Military Tribunal. Illegal gun laws, illegal registration and licensing Laws, avoided going by the orginal Constitution in the illegal judicial sytstem which is currently under Maritime Law which is the law of the seas and should have been Common Law as required by out Constitution. Judges should also be receiving One WAY TICKETS to their execution for stepping out side of out Constitution . No excuses for this has been HELL for Citizen of this state for way to long by this Nazi, Fascist State top to bottom.