Vermont Statewide Fair and Impartial Policing Sanctuary

Vermont's Fair and Impartial Policing Policy, codified at 20 V.S.A. 4651 through 4658, requires every state, county, and municipal law enforcement agency to adopt a uniform policy that prohibits inquiry into immigration status during routine policing, restricts information sharing with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and prohibits enforcement of civil immigration detainers absent a judicial warrant. The Criminal Justice Council, formerly the Criminal Justice Training Council, develops and updates the model policy. Officers may not stop, detain, or arrest individuals based solely on suspected civil immigration violations. The statute applies uniformly across Vermont, making the entire state a sanctuary jurisdiction by operation of law.

Agencies that fail to adopt or follow the Fair and Impartial Policing Policy may face loss of state funding, civil liability, and corrective action by the Criminal Justice Council.