Traffic Stop Of Migrant Workers Raises Questions About Policing Policy
A Franklin County, Vermont sheriff’s officer called for the U.S. Border Patrol after he pulled over two Mexican farmworkers for a traffic violation last August.
The two farmworkers are now in custody and awaiting deportation. A body cam video of the incident is fueling debate over Vermont’s fair and impartial policing policy.
Law enforcement and advocacy groups have worked for months on a new policy. The final version will likely be approved this week, and it will include guidelines on cooperation between state and federal agencies on immigration enforcement.
Immigrant advocates cite the video as evidence the policy needs strengthening; they’re also concerned that draft revisions could make it less likely that immigrants will seek out police in emergencies.