Any fantastical thinking that VT or our VT communities are immune to the chaos caused by ICE must cease after what happened on the other side of the Green Mountains earlier this week. It’s time for the St. Johnsbury Select Board to act and pass a local ordinance preventing our police department and Town officials from providing information to or participating in any ICE enforcement activities.

Across the United States, cities and towns have adopted local ordinances that clarify the role of municipal government in immigration enforcement. These policies generally establish that local police and municipal employees will not participate in federal civil immigration enforcement activities unless required by law or accompanied by a judicial warrant. Cities such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and Hoboken, NJ have enacted laws limiting local cooperation with ICE, and we must follow suit.

All enacted policies share several core provisions: local police do not enforce federal immigration law; municipal employees do not inquire about immigration status in routine interactions; and local jails do not hold individuals solely on the basis of ICE administrative detainers unless a judge has issued a warrant.

The same principles apply here: municipal police departments exist to protect public safety and enforce local and state laws, not to function as agents of federal immigration. Clarifying this boundary through a local ordinance would provide transparency for residents, guidance for local officials, and reassurance that our town resources are focused on community safety.

Below is a draft ordinance to be considered by our residents and, ultimately, by the St. Johnsbury Selectboard. It includes language and common provisions found in other ordinances around the country.

St Johnsbury Community Trust and Public Safety Ordinance

Section 1. Purpose

The purpose of this ordinance is to promote public safety, strengthen trust between the municipal government and residents, and clarify that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of federal authorities.

Section 2. Definitions

“Civil immigration enforcement” refers to actions undertaken by federal immigration authorities related to alleged violations of civil immigration law.

Section 3. Non-Participation in Civil Immigration Enforcement

No department, officer, employee, or agent of the Town shall use town funds, personnel, data, property, or equipment to investigate, enforce, or assist in the enforcement of federal civil immigration law, except where required by state or federal law.

Section 4. Immigration Status Inquiries

Town employees and law-enforcement officers shall not inquire into the immigration status of any person unless such information is directly relevant to a criminal investigation and required by law.

Section 5. Detainer Requests

The town shall not detain an individual solely on the basis of an ICE administrative detainer or immigration hold unless accompanied by a judicial warrant issued by a federal or state court.

Section 6. Access to Town Facilities

Federal immigration authorities shall not be granted access to town facilities, detainees, or nonpublic information for civil immigration enforcement purposes without a judicial warrant or the informed consent of the individual involved.

Section 7. Equal Access to Services

All town services, programs, and benefits shall be administered without regard to immigration status.

To be clear, policies like this do not prevent federal immigration enforcement. Instead, they clarify that local governments should focus on local responsibilities. Federal authorities retain full authority to enforce immigration law, while municipalities control how they use their own resources.

For St Johnsbury, adopting a clear ordinance would provide transparent guidance for police and town employees, encourage residents, regardless of background, to report crimes and cooperate with law enforcement, and ensure that limited municipal resources remain focused on community safety and local priorities.

By adopting a carefully written ordinance modeled on existing laws in cities across the country, St. Johnsbury could affirm the simple principle that public safety is enhanced immeasurably when every resident trusts their local government to act in the best interests of the community, and not in the best interest of an out of control administration bent on co-opting local governments and causing as much fear and chaos as possible for immigrants and citizens alike.