By Guy Page
Vermont is one of the 249 sanctuary jurisdictions targeted by America First Legal in a recent letter warning of consequences under the Trump administration.
AFL is a legal advocacy group promoting a closed border and deportation of illegal aliens – a kind of mirror image to the open-border ACLU. According to the June, 2024 Immigration and Customs Enforcement list of sanctuary jurisdictions, Vermont has been a sanctuary state since January, 2017 – the month President Donald Trump ‘45 took office. That’s when the Legislature passed S.79, which was among the first bills signed by Gov. Phil Scott.
Since then, Vermont’s Criminal Justice Council has consistently supported and reinforced a hands-off policing approach to arrests and detainment based on immigration status and has forbid police communication with ICE leading to detainment and deportation.
Trump’s appointee for border czar, Tom Homan, has repeatedly promised to take legal action against sanctuary jurisdiction officials who resist ICE efforts to detain and deport illegal immigrants.
The ICE Boston office (pgs. 15 and 16) lists as ‘limited cooperation institutions’ eight Vermont state prisons. ICE defines limited cooperation as giving notification of release in advance, but not holding potential deportees long enough for ICE to take custody.
Although Trump has yet to take office, America First Legal has sent a sternly-worded letter to sanctuary jurisdiction officials – including (it says) Gov. Phil Scott. The letter can be seen here and includes the following:
“Federal law imposes serious consequences for obstructing the execution of federal immigration law. So-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions that forbid compliance with federal immigration law and cooperation with the officials who enforce it are, therefore, breaking the law. Moreover, sanctuary jurisdictions are strictly prohibited from requiring their employees to violate federal immigration law.
“We have identified your jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction that is violating federal law. Such lawlessness subjects you and your subordinates to significant risk of criminal and civil liability. Accordingly, we are sending this letter to put you on notice of this risk and insist that you comply with our nation’s laws.’
VDC has asked Scott’s press secretary to respond to the letter and will publish any comment as soon as it is received.