Vermont’s Police Are Playing Border Patrol, State Be Damned
Vermont’s “Fair and Impartial Policing” policy isn’t just failing; it’s a goddamn joke. Franklin County law enforcement proved this yet again earlier this week.
They snagged a motorist on a minor traffic infraction, then immediately called U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The result was detention for immigration violations.
This wasn’t local policing; it was acting as federal immigration agents, pure and simple. It’s a direct slap in the face to Vermont’s supposed values.
This isn’t an isolated incident. It’s a pattern of deliberate defiance against state policy.
The State’s Toothless Watchdog
Immigrant rights groups are rightly screaming bloody murder. Migrant Justice and the ACLU of Vermont issued statements on August 13th, demanding action.
They called out the blatant disregard for FIP guidelines. These groups have documented dozens of cases over the past five years where local police contact led directly to CBP involvement and deportation.
This isn’t theoretical; it’s tearing families apart, right here in Vermont.
What’s the state’s response? A spokesperson for the Vermont Attorney General’s office, on August 14th, offered lukewarm acknowledgement. They’re “reviewing the specifics” and “reiterating the importance of consistent FIP policy implementation.”
That’s not action. That’s bureaucratic mumbling while local cops do whatever they please.
Local police chiefs, particularly in border towns, are shrugging it off. They cite “public safety mandates” or “cooperation with federal authorities.”
They claim they’re just doing their jobs, caught between state and federal rules. Nonsense. They’re choosing sides, and it’s not Vermont’s side.
Who Pays the Price?
When local police act as extensions of CBP, trust evaporates. Undocumented individuals and mixed-status families avoid reporting crimes and fear seeking emergency services.
This makes everyone less safe, not just immigrants.
A 2023 report by the ACLU of Vermont found that 15% of all Border Patrol arrests in Vermont involved local law enforcement assistance. That’s not “incidental cooperation”; that’s active, undeniable collaboration.
Vermont pretends to be a progressive state, enacting FIP policies to protect its residents and build community trust.
But these policies are meaningless if they’re not enforced. Local departments are twisting the rules, or simply ignoring them.
The state government, under pressure, talks about “clarifying guidelines” and empty promises of “oversight.” More talk, less action. It’s a betrayal of the very people these policies are meant to protect.
Let’s cut the crap. Local police chiefs in border towns aren’t confused; they’re making a deliberate choice.
They prefer the perceived “convenience” of federal partnership over upholding state values and earning community trust. They’re using minor traffic stops as back doors to immigration enforcement, sidestepping Vermont’s own rules with blatant disregard.
The “public safety” argument is a smokescreen. The real motive is power: the power to act as federal agents without federal accountability, and the power to maintain a certain level of federal “cooperation” that might come with its own perks.
The Vermont Attorney General’s office, by “reviewing” instead of enforcing, is utterly complicit. They’re letting this deliberate breach of policy fester, allowing the state’s progressive image to rot from the inside.
This isn’t some minor policy squabble or a misunderstanding. This is local law enforcement actively ripping apart the trust that holds our communities together, all for their own agenda.
The state must stop talking and start acting. Fine these departments. Hold these chiefs accountable.
Until they do, Vermont’s “Fair and Impartial Policing” policy is nothing more than expensive toilet paper.
Source: Google News
