Vt. officials respond to Trump administration’s ‘sanctuary city’ threats
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Burlington’s mayor and other local officials responded Friday to the Trump administration’s release of a public list putting more than 500 “sanctuary jurisdictions” across the country on notice that they are standing in the way of the president’s mass deportations agenda. It comes as immigration advocates expressed renewed concern over increased enforcement actions.
Advocates with the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project say 10 construction workers were detained by ICE in Newport on Thursday. It’s part of what they fear is the Trump administration’s doubling down on enforcement.
“Arresting, you know, several hundred a day isn’t enough. So yeah, we gotta vastly increase that,” Trump administration border czar Tom Homan said this week. “We’re letting ICE officers do their job. So, sanctuary cities wanna force in neighborhoods. You’re gonna see more collateral arrests. They’re going to get exactly what they don’t want -- more agents in the community and more collateral arrests.”
Towns and cities like Montpelier, Winooski, Lebanon, Hanover, and Burlington have long stood by their status as sanctuary cities, but now are facing threats from President Trump for deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
In a statement Friday, Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak reiterated that the city stands by its fair and impartial policing policy. “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,” she said.
“We do see what the very real human cost of what’s happening,” said Jill Martin Diaz with the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project. In light of the recent uptick in detainments, the group held an urgent training Friday morning for pro bono attorneys, legal workers, and interpreters to help in these immigration cases. “If we pace ourselves and we organize and we make use of everyone’s different, complementary skills and resources. And when we use the legal tools in our system of government and our rule of law, we do prevail.”
Of the 10 construction workers detained by ICE near Newport Crossing, five had proper work authorization and were expected to be released Friday, and the others as soon as Monday.
Sarah Mearhoff with the Associated General Contractors of Vermont says the effects of these actions are concerning. “People being afraid to send their kids to school, or go to the grocery store, or report to work the next day... The net is cast so wide that we are seeing people who have their proper documentation, especially being detained in this way -- that’s a real concern for the industry at large,” she said.
Winooski’s City Manager said in an email that they are looking further into what the DHS listing means, but that residents can be assured that the Winooski Police Department will not be behaving any differently.
Under the president’s executive order, sanctuary cities will be notified about violations of federal law, and cuts to federal grants or contracts could be on the table if they don’t comply.
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