Gov. Phil Scott has responded to the U.S. attorney general’s recent letter which labeled Vermont as a sanctuary jurisdiction, reiterating that the state does not hold that status and does not violate any federal immigration laws.
“I believe this designation of Vermont as a so-called ‘sanctuary jurisdiction’ has been made in error,” Scott wrote to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in an Aug. 19 letter shared with VTDigger.
Scott’s comments refer to an Aug. 13 letter in which the attorney general’s office identified Vermont as a state that “engages in sanctuary policies and practices,” threatening criminal charges, civil action and potentially withholding federal funds if it does not cease.
That letter comes on the heels of the Justice Department announcing its latest list of 35 sanctuary jurisdictions, which includes Vermont, as part of the federal government’s continued effort to target communities it believes are interfering with immigration enforcement.
Scott pushed back on the assertion.
“Vermont does not have any law or policy that impedes the enforcement of federal immigration law. In fact the opposite is true,” his letter states. “Vermont State law is very clear that the State does not prohibit or impede any public agency from complying with the lawful requirements of 8 U.S.C. §§ 1373 and 1644.”
