By Paul Bean
Governor Phil Scott’s office insists Vermont is in full compliance with federal immigration law despite the Department of Homeland Security declaring Thursday night the whole State of Vermont as a ‘Sanctuary Jurisdiction.’
“Vermont maintains full compliance with federal law while protecting the Constitutional rights of citizens and the State,” wrote the Governor’s Press Secretary Amanda Wheeler yesterday by email. She continued, “This means, Vermont doesn’t stand in the way of the federal government carrying out federal immigration laws in Vermont.”
The recent announcement has raised questions about what sort of consequences there would be for cities and states defying federal law, some questioning if this meant there would be a loss of federal funds, while others saying this potentially would mean arrests of officials in sanctuary jurisdictions.
Last month, when asked on whether the administration would possibly arrest sanctuary city leaders who defy Trump’s mass deportation agenda, Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, responded “Wait till you see what’s coming.”
A few days later, Homan doubled-down on his statement, telling reporters, “I meant what I said. You can not support what we’re doing. And you can support sanctuary cities if that’s what you want to do. But if you cross that line of impediment or knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that is a felony. And we’ll treat it as such.”
“Advocates with the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project said 10 construction workers were detained by ICE in Newport on Thursday,” wrote WCAX Friday afternoon. “It’s part of what they fear is the Trump administration’s doubling down on enforcement.”
The whole state of Vermont and the cities of Burlington, Montpelier, and Winooski have been labeled as ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and now face federal funding cuts under President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Yesterday, Burlington Mayor Emma Mulveney Stanak issued a statement in response to the recent DHS announcement writing, “Burlington, like other communities identified as sanctuary jurisdictions, has a proud history of welcoming immigrants and refugees to our City, and we will not back down from ensuring the safety of all who live, work and visit our community.”
The Governor has previously insisted Vermont is in compliance with federal immigration law regarding sanctuary cities and states, and so has Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak.
The DHS list, prompted by Executive Order 14287 signed by President Trump on April 28, identifies states and local jurisdictions that fail to comply with federal immigration laws.
“Sanctuary jurisdictions including cities, counties, and states that are deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities,” says the DHS website. “Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in peril.”
Vermont also holds suspected illegal immigrants in state prisons at the request of federal officials.
Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, has policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, such as restricting local law enforcement from sharing information with ICE, aligning with the state’s overall illegal immigrant-friendly stance.
A 2017 state law forbids Vermont police from cooperating with ICE on immigration actions, which are regarded as civil and not criminal matters. Vermont police do cooperate with federal authorities on violations of criminal law, Scott Administration spokespersons say.
Vermont’s inclusion marks it as one of 15 entire states labeled as sanctuaries, alongside states like California, New York, and Massachusetts, potentially risking federal funding cuts under Trump’s executive order.