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SANCTUARY COMMUNITY: Illegal aliens are welcome and, for the most part, safe from deportation in the rural community of Plainfield.

PLAINFIELD, Vt. The rural community of Plainfield on Tuesdayjoined an increasing number of Vermont jurisdictionsconsidered to be sanctuary communities for illegal aliens.

The change was adopted in a non-binding resolution put before voters on Town Meeting Day. The resolution passed by a 67-13 vote.

Andy Robinson, a local immigrant rightsactivist, led the effort by helping gather about70 signatures to get the issue on the ballot.

The goal here is to make sure Plainfield is perceived as a town that is considered welcoming and that immigrants here can feel safe, Robinsontold Watchdog.

Themeasure was taken up after careful consideration from legal experts from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and theattorney generals office, Robinson said. He added that the main advice he received is thatlocal authorities are not required to enforce federal immigration law.The measure essentially reiterates that Plainfield authorities are not required to do so.

James Simpson, a former analyst for the White House Office of Management and Budget who now focuses on immigration, the Plainfield resolution is little more than words on paper, but nonetheless sends a message.

It doesnt matter if its just a meaningless resolution or something that becomes an ordinance, he said. It all sends the same message, and that is that the official position on illegal aliens is that they are welcome here.

Simpson sayswhile most illegal immigrants are seeking a better life, thepopulation as a whole is disproportionately more likely to be involved in crimes. As reported by Breitbart,U.S. Sentencing Commission data for fiscal year 2014shows thatwhile illegal aliens accounted for 3.5 percent of the U.S. population, they accounted for 36.7 percent of federal sentencesfollowing criminal convictions.

Robinson said he understands Vermonterssecurity concerns but thinks the vast majority of those coming in are law abiding. He added that Vermont needs to embrace new young workers and entrepreneursto counterbalance the states aging population.

A concern for Plainfield and similar towns is whether the federal government will withhold discretionary grants fromjurisdictions that refuse to help feds enforce U.S. immigration laws.

While total federal funding to sanctuary cities nationwide may be as high as $27 billion, the left-wing Center for American Progressandthe American Immigration Lawyers Association released a report that states the portion of federal dollars that could be denied tosanctuary jurisdictions is$870,068,698.

Robinson said while he isnt worried about the potentialloss of federal funds, it doesnt mean it wont happen.

James Lyall, executive director of the Vermont American Civil Liberties Union, says Plainfields resolution is similar to those in other towns.

I dont know what the specific language of Plainfields resolution was, [but]its likely consistent with the other moves to affirm that those places and their public officials will respect the civil rights of immigrants, he said.

While state and local authorities have for decades voluntarily helped feds identify illegal immigrants, Lyall claimed it is not legally aresponsibility of local law enforcement to concern themselves with federal immigration enforcement.

Based on that distinction between what is legally required versus what is voluntary, about 600 cities and counties nationwide have adopted policies that mandatenoncooperation from local police, investigators and other officials. Suchnoncooperation limits the ability offederal immigration authorities to identify and deport illegal immigrants.

Lyall said in some cases local police lackauthority to pursue immigration enforcement, such as in asking for immigration status without appropriate probable cause. Hesaid that Vermont police must adhere to Fair and Impartial Policing, a policy that prohibits police from gathering immigration status from suspects.

Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Watchdog in a recent interview that refusing to givefederal authorities information aboutimmigration statusis illegal.If [the state] passes an ordinance saying police may not notify the federal government of immigration status, that is in clear violation of [federal law], he said.

Robinson said he pushed the initiative in Plainfield as a response to thetough immigration rhetoric and policies out of the Trump administration. Lyall said it would be better if state legislators wouldpass laws so that smaller communities would not have tocome up with their own resolutions.

Simpson said giving any immigrant a free passisdisrespectful to all the immigrants who come to the United States legally.

Its really an outrage, he said. All their effort, and this is really just making a fool of them.

We go through all that stuff and then illegal aliens can just breeze on in and not merely have the door open but have their hand held and they are protected. Its simply incredible.

Robinson said while he sympathizes with the frustrations of those who go through the often-tedious legal immigration process, he said he also knowsundocumentedimmigrants who have been waiting as long as five years, going through multiple background checks, and are still waiting.

I think what we need is a more streamlined way, he said.

Michael Bielawski is a freelance reporter for Vermont Watchdog. Contact [emailprotected]

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