BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont city council has voted to guarantee local law enforcement cannot report a person’s citizenship status to federal immigration agents.
Burlington City Council voted 11 to 1 Monday night in support of a resolution written by Councilor Perri Freeman, WCAX-TV reported.
The resolution amends the Fair and Impartial Policing Policy adopted by the city in 2017. The resolution came in response to concerns about potential loopholes in protections for immigrants in the policy.
Activists contended that immigrants living in Burlington should not have to fear that local law enforcement officers are working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
But Burlington Interim Police Chief Jennifer Morrison said that the council’s decision violates federal law and could put federal funding at risk.
“Our current policy protects immigrant rights better than the state model policy and the Burlington Police Department has been actively engaged in this issue for decades,” Morrison said. “Burlington police officers have never acted as deputies for federal immigration officials and we never will. That’s a fact. We have no intention of acting on behalf of the federal government. We are a community-based policy organization.”
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