Thread: VT: Sleeper disputes claims that state is tough on illegal i

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=6100673&nav=4QcS

Sleeper disputes claims that state is tough on illegal immigrants
Feb 16, 2007
MONTPELIER, -- Vermont's top law enforcement official is refuting claims the state is tougher on illegal immigrants than other New England states.


He was responding to a Mexican diplomat who this week told a meeting of the Addison County Migrant Workers Coalition that in 2006, 123 Mexican farm workers were detained in Vermont. By contrast, Maine deported 60, Massachusetts 33, Rhode Island 30 and New Hampshire 21.

"Vermont compared to other states, it's a tough state," said Deputy Consul Rodrigo Marquez.

"Most of the Mexicans who for some reason have to be in contact with the police, they eventually end up deported."

Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper said that characterization was inaccurate.

"I can say very confidently that the statement that was made that Vermont was more aggressive in detaining more of these workers than other states is grossly distorted and completely inaccurate," he said.

He said there have been 27 cases in which state police detained Mexican immigrants or contacted U.S. Customs officials about them. No one was detained or deported in five of those cases, he said.

Sleeper said the higher numbers may reflect federal actions. Being a border state, Vermont may have a higher number of people stopped by federal officials than Massachusetts, Sleeper said.

Vermont police do not act in federal immigration cases but police are obligated to ask for identification and run a records check during a traffic stop, Sleeper said. If a person doesn't have ID, police call immigration officials.

Police in other New England states respond differently, Marquez said.

"Not just in New England but in other states, they just check the person and they send him to court or they give them a fine," he said. "Here the problem is they actually call the immigration officer and they ask if they have documents."

We know that Vermont is not tough on anything except their children, it must be one of the most unsafe places in our nation for little children who depend on their liberal judges to make their rapist pay for raping them, tough for the little children we know who Vermont prefers to take care of the predators by sending them to classes to reform them of their ways instead of to prison to punish them for their crimes! I would say that no, Vermont simply could not be tough on anything much less illegal immigration.