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Announcement comes amid questions about immigration enforcement and a Burlington homicide investigation
By Guy Page
Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak will sign an executive order Wednesday, October 14, addressing how the city will implement a new Vermont law prohibiting civil immigration arrests at schools, churches, health care facilities and other designated sensitive locations.
The mayor has scheduled a 9:30 AM press conference at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 152 Pearl Street. Representatives of community organizations operating in sensitive locations are expected to speak.
The executive order will address Act 150, which took effect June 16, 2026. The law prohibits civil arrests, including civil immigration arrests, at designated locations throughout Vermont. The law was championed by Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (D/P Chittenden Central), who represents Burlington.
Protected locations include educational institutions, government buildings wholly owned and controlled by the state or a political subdivision, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, public libraries, polling places, social service establishments, places of worship, children’s camps and health care facilities. Supporters of the bill acknowledge that federal law typically pre-empts state law, and therefore Act 150 may not prohibit federal officials. However, its passage may embolden operators of those locations to deny cooperation with federal authorities, and supporters home to find a pathway to compliance in federal court.
The announcement comes amid heightened attention to immigration enforcement and public safety in Burlington and nationwide.
One issue concerns the recent killing of a woman on South Champlain Street. Police say the woman was beaten to death in her home, in front of her children, allegedly by her husband, Bal Khadka.
As reported Monday by Mike Donoghue of Vermont News First, Burlington Police have released little information about Khadka’s background, including how long he has lived in the area and whether he was employed.
Interim Police Chief Shawn Burke said officers are restricted from asking certain questions under Vermont’s Fair and Impartial Policing policy.
The statewide policy, first established by law in 2014 and updated several times, limits cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal civil immigration authorities.
Under the policy, officers generally may not inquire about a person’s civil immigration status unless that information is necessary to an ongoing criminal investigation. The policy also prohibits officers from using a person’s characteristics as a reason to question immigration status.
Burke did not say Khadka is an immigrant or indicate that his immigration status played any role in the homicide investigation. There is no confirmed immigration connection to the killing.
The mayor’s announcement also comes amid reports of federal immigration enforcement activity elsewhere in the country, including a reported Department of Homeland Security action involving Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, a naturalized U.S. citizen and outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Details of that reported action have not been independently confirmed.
Act 150 concerns civil arrests, a category distinct from arrests made under criminal law. The distinction is important because the law’s restrictions on civil immigration enforcement do not necessarily prevent police from investigating crimes or making criminal arrests at the designated locations.
Wednesday’s signing is expected to clarify how Burlington officials will carry out the state law and what direction city employees will receive concerning civil immigration enforcement.
The city has not yet released the text of the executive order or specified whether it will impose requirements beyond those already established by Act 150.
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Categories: Burlington
In addition to probably being in violation of the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution, this is just bad policy and explains why the City of Burlington and Vermont in general is in such a state of failure
Since when do these communists care about the Constitution. The whole point of every action they take is to destroy the Constitution so they can have one party rule.
“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legitimized version of the first”. – Thomas Jefferson
I don’t believe baiting Tom Holman is the mayors best choice. This will not end well.
As a matter of general taxpayer and public safety interest, anytime someone is convicted of a serious crime, several pieces of information should become public information:
-Their immigration status
-whether they collected non-entitlement public assistance and/or lived in subsidized housing
-whether they were gainfully employed at the time of the offense
Harboring a fugitive from law enforcement is a felony in all 50 states… right!? Unless you are a special “above the law” philosopher king sitting on a throne of identity politics.
Try harboring a violent felon in your home if you are not exercising the special privilege these cultish self-appointed magistrates assert and watch out.
Why are the courts so sluggish in affirming the Rule of Law in this nation? Are we dying a death of a 1,000 cuts here? Is a Constitutional Republic real without it?
This is a murder investigation now and all information pertaining to this case must be made public, including the back ground of all of the people involved. Comment from Richard Day.
If she puts out a list of protected sensitive places, it will be over run with immigration violators. We’ll see what the Feds have to say.
Democrats and Progressive think they are above the law. Isn’t it funny not one of these people complained when Obama was departing millions of people. There were no restrictions. There were no riots. There were no protests. This mayor needs to understand that she’s dumber than a box of rocks and federal law supersede any state law.
This is very apparent Kenneth, just listening to the Mass Media diatribe on the scofflaw Ohmar’s residence lawful search warrant. Too much Hypocrisy!
Wow just reading the rules of posting here shows who has the rights here in VT. We as Americans cannot speak of “race” and we cannot criticize? So we just must say mayor your so brilliant. We here in Vermont are now under the rule of Burlington VT only people safe from harm are those who come here illegally. You may commit crimes judges will whitewash it the mayor will give you a list of places to hide. If you murder someone we have the right to the info, unless you are here illegally! This is why Vermont will crumble very soon!
Why are we protecting people illegally in the United States. Why can’t they go through the legal process (unless they are a criminal in their home country)? What is the real reason we are protecting them (and I don’t want to hear or read some word salad).
The real reason is that they are being paid by foreign governments to take down our country. That’s the only explanation that makes sense to me.
Steve, votes, watch the fights at the polls in a couple of weeks, as well as November 2028. Simple enough?
This tells all: “Supporters of the bill acknowledge that federal law typically pre-empts state law, and therefore Act 150 may not prohibit federal officials.” So why waste taxpayer time and money trying to do something that you know won’t stand?
It’s called “liberal posturing” and “virtue signaling”. This mayor has nothing positive or productive to propose that will enhance the quality of life in her city for most of it’s law-abiding inhabitants so she offers platitudes that will make her supporters feel good and make her appear “compassionate”. It is political junk food.
Good luck trying to push around Federal Law Enforcement officers.