Immigrants Newshttp://www.understandingvt.org/immigrants-news/en-US2008-12-03T06:50:06ZSquarespace Site Server v5.0.0 (http://www.squarespace.com/)State police adopt new policy on undocumented farm workershttp://www.understandingvt.org/immigrants-news/2008/9/29/state-police-adopt-new-policy-on-undocumented-farm-workers.htmlVCF Staff2008-09-29T20:56:54ZVermont Public Radio reports that "the director of the Vermont State Police says recent crimes against undocumented farm workers in Vermont have led to a new policy that will allow illegal immigrants to report criminal activity without fear of arrest or deportation." Before the policy change, "state police questioned immigrant workers about their legal status when responding to a reported crime - which, in the past, has led to the arrest and deportation of undocumented workers."

"State Police enforcement of immigration laws has been a sore spot with advocates for Vermont's Mexican farm workers, and last year officials at the Mexican consulate in Boston said enforcement of immigration laws in Vermont was the toughest of all the New England States." According to Colonel James Baker, the director of the Vermont State Police, "State police are caught between their duty to enforce the law, and the federal government's lack of action on reforming immigration statutes to address the status of Vermont's Mexican farm workers."

]]>Statistics show Vermont had fewer immigrants last yearhttp://www.understandingvt.org/immigrants-news/2008/9/23/statistics-show-vermont-had-fewer-immigrants-last-year.htmlVCF Staff2008-09-23T20:53:00ZVermont Public Radio reports that according to "new federal census data, the number of immigrants in Vermont declined from 2006 to 2007" and Vermont was "one of 14 states that showed declines in the estimated number of immigrants from 2006 to 2007." Meanwhile nationally, "the wave of immigrants entering the United States slowed dramatically last year as the economy faltered and the government stepped up enforcement of immigration laws." Indeed in 2007, "the nation added about a half million immigrants, down from nearly 2 million million the year before."

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]]>Police look to relieve tensions with immigrantshttp://www.understandingvt.org/immigrants-news/2008/9/22/police-look-to-relieve-tensions-with-immigrants.htmlVCF Staff2008-09-22T20:33:00ZVermont Public Radio reports that "advocates for immigrant farm workers are hailing a decision by Vermont State Police not to investigate the immigration status of three farm workers allegedly assaulted and robbed earlier this month." This will be the first time the Agency has "confronted such a situation, and that it was decided solving the robberies was more important than pursuing any possible immigration violations by the victims." Notably, "there are an estimated 2,000 immigrant farm workers in Vermont, most from Mexico and many in the country illegally."

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