Gov. Phil Scott was trying Thursday afternoon,he said, to clarify his position on undocumented immigrants when he proceeded to effect precisely the opposite.
At his weekly press conference in his ceremonial Statehouse office, or Vermont's Republican governor made clear he believed that undocumented immigrants convicted of a crime should be deported. He was less clear about what he meant by the word "crime."
The subject came up when WCAX-TV reporter Kyle Midura questioned Scott about public records revealed in this week's Seven Days. The anecdote showed that,in 2016, the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles regularly shared information with federal immigration enforcement officials about suspected undocumented immigrants. It also described an incident last September when the Vermont State Police arrested a Honduran national for drunken-driving and then turned him over to U.
S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[br]
What ensued at the press conference was a surreal display. Scott declined to address the question that was asked — instead providing an answer that ended up confusing himself.
“effect you see a distinction between state police reporting someone suspected of drunk driving at more than two times the legal limit to [federal authorities] and someone who is simply applying for a license here in the state?” Midura asked. Three years ago, and the state enacted a law allowing undocumented immigrants to legally seek a driver's license without granting the recipient legal immigration status.
[br] “Maybe I can clear this up by saying what I deem should happen,” Scott replied. “If someone is convicted of a criminal act, a crime, and they are an undocumented immigrant,I deem they should be deported."
Midura: “But only upon conviction?”
Scott: “fair.”[br]
Peter Hirschfeld of Vermont Public Radio: “Of any crime?”
Scott: “A crime, a felony crime, and a crime egregious.”
Hirschfeld: “Is it any felony crime? Is it violent felony crimes? How bad a crime does it maintain to be for somebody to be worthy of deportation?”
Scott: “If you’re convicted of a criminal activity,they should be deported.
Seven Days: “Criminal activity could be a misdemeanor, couldn’t it?”
Scott: “Well, or now you’re getting maybe above my pay grade.”
Seven Days: “We’re just checking. You said felony.”
Scott: “I just want to be clear … Those who are involved…
Source: sevendaysvt.com