Witnesses urge adding churches, shelters and libraries to Vermont bill protecting "sensitive locations" from civil arrest

Supporters of S209 told the House Judiciary Committee on April 2 that state law should explicitly protect a wide array of community spaces from civil immigration enforcement.

Lee Sparrow, a pastor who works with refugees through St. Michael’s refugee ministry and ECDC, told lawmakers that houses of worship often serve as child-care sites, food pantries and emergency shelters and that refugee families’ experiences differ by country of origin. Sparrow said Afghans who entered as allies often feel secure, while Eritrean families are anxious about halted green-card processing. "I'm just hoping that you will include places of worship along with schools, along with places where vulnerable people gather," Sparrow said, urging the committee to account for sanctuary-like functions beyond Sunday services.

The bill’s supporters framed the issue as one of access and public safety. Mark Redmond, executive director of Spectrum Youth and Family Services, said drop-in centers and youth shelters function as "sacred space" for traumatized young people and described operational practices his agency uses with police to protect clients. "We have two separate shelter spaces. Uh we have 26 beds all together in Burlington," Redmond said, adding that statutory protections would reassure staff and the young people they serve.

Cal Hail of the Vermont Library Association asked the committee to add the phrase "public libraries" into the S209 list of sensitive locations, noting that many libraries act as gateways to the digital world and provide meeting space for legal, immigration and social-service work. Hail asked lawmakers to reference the statutory definition in 22 V.S.A. § 101(2) to ensure incorporated (non-municipal) libraries are covered.

Medical professionals and election officials gave related reasons to broaden the bill’s protections. Jessa Barard of the Vermont Medical Society said fear of enforcement has affected some health-care workers’ willingness to appear at work and that rescinded federal guidance left facilities without clear policies about warrants and enforcement. Lauren Hibbert, deputy secretary of state, argued the bill should explicitly protect polling places so town clerks and voters can carry out elections without the chilling presence of armed federal or military actors. "We support this bill because we want people to feel like they can exercise their constitutional right to vote without fear," Hibbert said.

Committee members pressed witnesses on practical limits and unintended consequences. Witnesses acknowledged that no library or church could realistically shelter a person for years; both Cal Hail and Lee Sparrow said operating hours, building use and emergency-shelter functions differ across communities and that statutory language should reflect that nuance. Some members also questioned whether statutory protections are needed where cooperative local police relationships already exist.

The committee did not vote on S209 during this hearing. Lawmakers asked several witnesses for follow-up materials (library and school data, town-clerk guidance and statutory language options) and said some witnesses would be invited back to answer narrower questions about definitions and scope.

Ending: The committee heard broad-based support for statutory protections for multiple categories of "sensitive locations," but also heard warnings about drafting precise definitions and considering operational realities for libraries, houses of worship and health-care settings. The committee did not take final action and indicated it will request clarifying language and data before moving forward.