Committee reviews H.298, a bill to curb use of Vermont prisons for federal immigration detentions

The Admissions Committee on Thursday heard Representative Leonora Dodge present H.298, a bill that would limit use of Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities and staffing to hold people on behalf of federal immigration authorities and would require reporting on costs and any reimbursements. Dodge said the proposal focuses specifically on assistance to federal immigration authorities, not contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service.

The bill matters to lawmakers because federal authorities are increasingly relying on Vermont correctional capacity, and because a widely reported case in which a Tufts student was detained prompted questions about how and where federal immigration detentions occur. "So I strongly believe that our dollars go to Department of Corrections for the benefit of, our citizens and our residents to rehabilitate and to create public safety," Dodge said during her…