By Guy Page
According to a March 20 news report in the Caledonian-Record, the U.S. Border Patrol is dropping off illegal immigrants who crossed the Canadian border at a municipal welcome center/bus depot in St. Johnsbury.
The drop-off was confirmed by Gov. Scott and senior administration officials today at a press conference.
From the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center on Depot Street (off the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Railroad Street), the illegal immigrants go wherever they want – including getting on a bus, Police Chief Timothy Page [no relation to author] told the Caledonian-Record, the daily newspaper for Caledonia County whose Eastern Avenue offices are within sight of the St. J. Welcome Center.
Illegal border crossers have been left at the outdoor Welcome Center the last two Monday nights, Page reportedly said.
“We had people asleep on our floor in the lobby this morning. They were given services as quick as we could get them…I heard there were maybe ten dropped off but there were only 3-4 that we could account for. I don’t know where the other ones went. They may have got on an RCT bus or whatever – I don’t know,” Page reportedly said.
RCT is the region’s bus service, offering connections to Montpelier, Burlington and other destinations.
The downtown dropoffs are likely to continue because federal authorities simply don’t have the space to keep all of the illegal immigrants crossing the border, Page said. As reported in VDC recently, Canadian border crossings in the Swanton Sector (parts of NY, all of VT, NH) have been up over 800% in recent months.
Some illegal immigrants are sent back over the border, others are detained in state and federal facilities. But – as the Caledonian-Record report shows – others now are simply being released into the general population, to go wherever they choose.
State of Vermont response – At today’s press conference, Gov. Scott said he learned about the illegal immigrant drop-offs last night. He referred questions to his senior administration officials. The Agency of Human Services has convened a team to look at the housing, food and other services raised by an influx of illegal immigrants, Secretary Jen Samuelson said at the press conference. The team has begun working with affected local towns.
Scott administration officials also said they have been told ‘anecdotally’ that the immigrants left at the depot are those who had no plan, no-one waiting to pick them up on the U.S. side of the border. “They’re trying to get to New York State or Boston….that’s what we’re being told,” Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison said. VDC asked Morrison if she has said to Border Patrol, “this is your problem, do something about this”?
“That’s not the way we roll in Vermont, sir,” Morrison said with a smile. Instead, they have been in touch in a collaborative way with federal officials and are seeking to deal with the influx “in a humane, responsible manner.”
Categories: Crime
How reassuring……….
Why aren’t they being sent back into Canada??? Why are they releasing them??? Oh this administration is evil!!
“The downtown dropoffs are likely to continue because federal authorities simply don’t have the space to keep all of the illegal immigrants crossing the border,” The definition of illegal, “contrary to or forbidden by law,” illegal, Similar: unlawful, illicit, illegitimate, against the law, criminal, lawbreaking. Sounds pretty concise to me. When their feet touch our side of the boarder, CBP has them do a 180, and go back, otherwise CBP is aiding and abetting in the commission of a crime.
This is so unbelievable! How dare they allow this which will in the end destroy our once great nation. The illegals receive free benefits and are provided for in many ways. Between the thousands being allowed through our southern border and now our own state as well as NY & NH, I’m wondering just when they’ll be rounded up and returned to their nations. Wondering also when we’ll be done with Biden and his gang of thugs who hate America and are doing this on purpose! I’m speechless and worse than angry.
So welcome to Arizona in Vermont…..precisely what the democrats wanted! FORCED “diversity” (i.e.: chaos, crime, & corruption) – complete violation of federal laws! How DARE these miscreants in the VT state legislature dictate to ME whom I must associate & affiliate with, whom I must like & cohabitate with – NOT YOUR BUSINESS OR YOUR PLACE! EVER.
Go back to where YOU came from, lawbreakers….er, I mean “lawmakers”.
I guess Donald Trump had a point. Now that the glasses are off, many of us older radicals are seeing the grime of the Emerald City.
I have “invisible disability”. Proper support would be inexpensive, and would’ve facilitated habilitation. It costs more to accommodate a single refugee, even one with a criminal record.
These are the lucky ones. Little doubt some have froze to death attempting to navigate the remote woods and streams along the VT-NH-ME border. Those that voted for Biden, including Gov. Scott, are getting exactly what they bargained for. Vermont may soon have its own, immigrant death map. https://humaneborders.org/wp-content/uploads/deathpostercumulative_2022_stewardship_mid_letter.pdf
The only people to blame is the Biden administration.
The people to blame are the ones who voted in the Biden administration.
Why is phil scott not demanding they be returned to Canada or sent to Martha’s Vineyard maybe. Had enough of this madness yet Vermont?? Keep voting progressive and it’s sure to get worse.
Leave them at the deep state’s groomed Brooklyn working-class former mayor of Burlington’s house 🏠
We are such hypocrites here. We are a sanctuary city; I remember this from a few years ago but I never hear politicians talking about Montpelier and other Vermont sanctuary cities taking in some of these people. I mean they are here and continuing to cross the border, so it should not just fall on TX AZ NY FL , etc.
Treason from within.
Elections have consequences!
Keep voting Democrat and this is what you get.
Sadly, for the USA, this is what they somehow WANT! Our grandfathers, fathers, brothers, sons (and all our women who also served) all shed blood for NOTHING.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Democrats, the socialists/Communists, & the Swamp all see what a one-party system coupled with an ignorant electorate will net them. This is NOT going to end nicely or in barely anyone’s best interest.
“Illegal border crossers have been left at the outdoor Welcome Center the last two Monday nights, Page reportedly said.”
Anyone want to meet up Monday night to return the unwelcome guests? Border Guards can drop them off and we can carry them back.
It’s quite interesting that other media outlets can cover the same story without using the word ‘illegal’ There’s nothing illegal about requesting asylum at a US border.
https://vtdigger.org/2023/03/21/police-chief-says-border-patrol-is-dropping-immigrant-families-at-st-johnsbury-welcome-center/
Oh here’s one now with the “technically legal” argument-
Yes sir they are. But when they are being coached by Pueblas Sin Fronteras on how to game our asylum system, knowing full well the process will take 7-10 yrs if they even show up for it, is it a valid claim?
Are you ok with ICE removing the MILLION+ who immigration judges have already determined to NOT have valid claims and are still here, because Joe Biden won’t allow them to enforce those orders….?
The combination of these dubious asylum claims and lack of enforcement is exactly why the masses have been cow-called to our borders since Biden stepped in and there’s no debate about it.
Come Montpelier, you can vote!
The administration – our elected officials and hapless bureaucrats – have no idea how, who, when or why? A group of “undocumented” people cross an international border and end up in St. Johnsbury via a community bus service. Yet, if you drive a snowmobile across that border without checking in, the federal, state and local agencies will find you and interrogate you within an hour. Infiltration, not invasion. The payouts for this trafficking business must be worth acting like complete idiots and Vermont taxpayers footing the entire bill. Disgraceful and corrupt to the core!
Illegally entering a country is a crime (duh), but jailing is expensive, and pushing them back over the fence is tantamount to “haha, I caught you, try again!”
I’m personally a fan of confiscating their property, caning them, and then pushing them back over the border. Number of lashes can grow as necessary.
This is not just for the US. I would encourage all states to adopt this policy.