The Justice Department threatened to cut federal funding for the state of Vermont and the city of Burlington in letters that warned each may be violating federal immigration law.
The government agency sent the letters Wednesday to 29 different jurisdictions “that may have laws, policies, or practices that violate 8 U.S.C. 1373, a federal statute that promotes information sharing related to immigration enforcement.”
“Jurisdictions that adopt so-called ‘sanctuary policies’ also adopt the view that the protection of criminal aliens is more important than the protection of law-abiding citizens and of the rule of law,” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “I urge all jurisdictions found to be potentially out of compliance in this preliminary review to reconsider their policies that undermine the safety of their residents.”
The letters give each jurisdiction until December 8 to prove they’re in compliance.
Vermont would lose nearly $500,000 in Byrne Justice Assistance Grants if found not in compliance, while Burlington would lose about $40,000 in federal funding, according to Sen. Patrick Leahy’s (D-Vt.) office.
In a statement, Leahy blasted Sessions for the threat, calling it “shameful.”
“I strongly believe that police chiefs and local leaders should decide what state and local policies are necessary and best to keep their communities safe — not an Attorney General who is attempting to extort immigration reform by cutting off vital public safety dollars to local communities and their residents,” Leahy said.
Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) chimed in with a dose of criticism for President Donald Trump on Wednesday night, saying the letter was an effort to “strong-arm” the state to submit to federal immigration policies. He urged the courts to block the decision.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called the decision a way for Trump “to divide us up rather than go forward with comprehensive immigration reform.”
“We cannot and do not want to live in a society where people are afraid to call the police to get the help they need because they are worried about the consequences for their own lives,” Sanders said in a statement.
The Justice Department letter to Queen City Mayor Miro Weinberger takes specific aim at the Burlington Police Department’s Fair and Impartial Policing Policy. In a retort Wednesday evening, Weinberger said that the BPD policy is in compliance and “we do not believe the federal law requires us to implement the current president’s draconian immigration policies.
“Regardless of who populates the administration in Washington, the federal government has no authority to deputize Burlington police officers to enforce federal civil immigration laws,” Weinberger said in statement. “We will be responding to the letter by the deadline and forcefully arguing our case.”
The Vermont letter, sent to Public Safety Commissioner Tom Anderson, attacks the state’s Model Fair and Impartial Policing policy, which asks officers to avoid reporting the immigration status of victims or witnesses to the feds.
“We are confident we are compliant with federal law and worked closely with the legislature last year to ensure that,” Gov. Phil Scott said in a statement Thursday.
Scott added that Sessions’ letter cites an old version of the law, which was updated earlier this year.
Only two other states, as well as Washington, D.C., made the list. The rest are cities and counties, most of which are in California.
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Threats from a racist southern bully who has spent most of the week lying to a Congressional committee.
Why do you say lying ? He clearly said he is not a liar! He just could not recall many ,many , many times. Besides how can he be a bully when he is an elf?
Threats from someone who was deemed too racist decades ago.
Yeah I reposted this to my FB wall… because we aren’t wanting to cater to those racist assholes in Washington? Sessions: EAT SHIT.
1st comment inappropriate please remove
Can he even find Vermont on a map?
Let’s not feed into his violent provoking words. Just think about his thoughts and how he is a Hippocrate. His words speak for HIMSELF!!
Funny a bunch of whiteys living in one of the whitest states in the country calling the AG a racist. Just because you dont like the law does not mean you dont have to follow it. What a bunch of dumbasses. Hows the heroine supply in Burlington today thanks illegals.
When I see posts from “Citizen” I generally pass them by, thinking, what a sad, angry life he/she must have to write such things. But when someone makes comments like these below I have to jump in.
“Funny a bunch of whiteys living in one of the whitest states in the country calling the AG a racist.”
What does the fact that we have one of the whitest states have to do with racism at all? Oh wait, I know…. nothing..
“Hows the heroine supply in Burlington today thanks illegals”
I think Burlington has a fairly large supply of “heroines”, which I applaud. As for thanking illegals for supplying drugs to Burlingtonians? Hmmm, how to respond? Well, I guess all I can say, with only anecdotal evidence, is that the “heroin” dealer criminals I read about are U.S. citizens selling to U.S. citizens. Illegal people in Vermont, for the most part, keep a low profile, work hard, and send money back to their families. Maybe we all should be more like them.
Won’t make this tit for tat guys, so I’ll make this the last post..
Citizen: My family has historically been Republican since the founding of this nation. I’m a gun owning, pro choice, pro gay marriage, pro universal health care Republican. Did your head just explode?
The corruption runs deep in both parties. So don’t generalize me cuz you have no clue what your talking about. At least I have THE BALLS to not require to hide behind a fake name to say what I feel.
I hope that both parties expunge the crap that has been building for decades and decades and we can get back to a better union. I’ve never seen this country more divided then I see right now, and that’s a scary thing.
I can’t say I agree on Burlington being a sanctuary city as the illegals take up all of the housing and jobs but at least they do work and keep a low profile more than a lot of people that live here. I do agree that
Sessions is a jerk and Trump is having 2nd thoughts about him being the AG so he is trying to save his job by kissing Trump’s ass! But also Vermont doesn’t want to lose funding they get but we will see…….
Eddo please tell me where in America is all the heroin being produced, because you are aware that Mexico is not part of the USA. So yes illegals do play a big role in the epidemic that is destroying lives in this country. As for your comment that illegals keep a low profile in the state, Im glad to hear that you are a supporter of what is basically modern day slavery. The farmers and others that use illegals as cheap labor are no different than the plantation owners that kept slaves until the end of the civil war. And that is why they keep a low profile because their masters dont want anyone knowing they are here so they keep them confined on their farms. So who is a racist common sense would tell me you and others like you are.
Craig you did just blow my mind and if all you say about yourself is true you are no Republican you are just like me a red independent. But if the only reason you dislike my post is because Im smart enough to know that the left will stop at nothing to destroy this nation so it is best to hide behind a fake name than you should grow up and realize who you are up against. The left is full of crazy assholes that are willing to kill. Dont believe me just ask any GOP congressman or senator that was at baseball practice last summer. So for your sake I hope Craig Rigby is not your real name.
I guess I’m just a dumbass for thinking that people born, raised, and living in Mexico to Mexican parents with Mexican citizenship, no matter what they produce for a living, aren’t “illegals”, they would be if they came here “illegally”, but the people selling heroin here are good old “legal” U.S. citizens. The farmers I know, and I have many dairy farmer friends, pay 50% more than what local supermarkets or retail stores pay their “legal” U.S. citizen employees, and without those workers the dairy farms would go under because local “legals” don’t want to work on farms. The only reason the “illegals” are keeping a low profile is because of the jack-booted thugs working for our pumpkin head president, and his elfin puppet.
Why would anyone be unhappy with a heroine ? Don’t we need more of them?
I know for a fact that this state government cares more about the illegals. A friend of mine needed help for her home, She’s a widow and couldn’t get anywhere with all the places she called, She called the Gov office to see if they could help steer her in the right direction. the woman said no we don’t do that, my friend said could you give me some names-phone numbers? The woman got rude, my friend said if I was an illegal you would help me right. that they come first, the woman said “well they came here with nothing, so yes they do come first, we need to them !! I heard this woman say this, as my friend had it on speaker phone. I told my friend to hang up. Had her call the Senators and Congressman, This was 5 months ago and she has yet heard from any of them. I believe that refugees, legal ones should be helped but not before our own Vt citizens.
Sanctuary Cities are nothing more than holding pens for prey for Illegal Alien Criminals. Never mentioned is the existence of the U Visa which protects Illegal Aliens who report or are a victim of crime. I wonder why?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/us/lega…
U.S.Sanctuary Bills in Maryland Faced a Surprise Foe: Legal Immigrants
“The failure of the sanctuary bills in Maryland reveals a potentially troublesome fissure for Democrats as they rush to defy Mr. Trump. Their party has staked out an activist position built around protecting undocumented immigrants. But it is one that has alienated many who might have been expected to support it.”
Obama administration has admitted that Sanctuary Cities are a problem:
http://culberson.house.gov/uploadedfiles/d…
But, within the above letter, doesn’t really address what the Obama administration will actually do about it to protect US Citizens:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/300504684/What-D…
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinio…
http://news.berkeley.edu/2015/09/04/igs-po…
IGS poll: Californians oppose sanctuary city policies
“Californians strongly oppose sanctuary city policies under which local authorities ignore federal requests to detain undocumented immigrants who have been arrested but are about to be released, according to a new poll released today by the Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) at UC Berkeley.”
The U.S. currently has eleven non immigrant guest worker visa programs.
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/engl…
There is no cap on the number of workers allowed into the U.S. under the H-2A temporary agricultural guest worker visa program.
Alabama had to bite the bullet and hire LEGAL Immigrants for its AG Industry:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/201…
Africans Relocate to Alabama to Fill Jobs After Immigration Law
“East Coast began calling Atlanta refugee agencies several months ago looking for legal immigrants to come to Alabama for a year, said Mbanfu, refugee employment director for Lutheran Services in Atlanta. He said the company would have taken as many refugees as he could refer. The agency connected East Coast with refugees who had been in the country three to five years, he said.”
If America is supposed to be a nation of laws I don’t understand why anyone would object to the federal government expecting local and state law enforcement agencies being cooperative in enforcing ALL laws, including federal law? I believe that the federal law enforcement agencies assist the local and state police agencies so why shouldn’t their be reciprocity?
If the locals would cooperate then they should not receive any federal funding until they do. Maybe when the locals contact the FBI lab at Quantic or any of the federal agencies for help they should be put on hold or told that their request will be considered by the next available operator, wait time will be…………………………..?