Several hundred people marched and rallied in downtown Burlington on Sunday afternoon in a spirited show of solidarity with refugees and immigrants.

They took to the streets two days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that suspended the refugee resettlement program and the entry into the U.S. of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Syria, Libya and Somalia.

The crowd assembled at the First Unitarian Universalist Society, then marched along Church Street to City Hall Park. Marchers stepped off singing "This Land is Your Land," and then chanted: "No hate! No fear! Refugees are welcome here!"

Several speakers addressed the crowd at the park, including Mayor Miro Weinberger; Susan Sussman, a caseworker from Senator Patrick Leahy's (D-Vt.) office; Jay Diaz, a staff attorney with the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union; and Community College of Vermont student Zeinab Bulle.

An executive order expected to be signed Wednesday by President Donald Trump could halt the flow of Syrian refugees into Rutland — just a week after the first family arrived.

"It's very alarming," said Stacie Blake, the director of government and community relations at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

"We don't have any concrete information about his intention," she said of Trump.

The federal decree would impose a temporary ban on most refugees and would suspend U.S. visas issued to citizens of seven Middle Eastern and African countries, including Syria, according to Reuters.

Facing an array of unknowns about federal policy, Democratic Attorney General T.J. Donovan on Wednesday created a wide-ranging task force to explore and address issues related to immigrants and the law.

In practical terms, the effect of the task force is unclear. “Since the election and the transition of power in Washington, many Vermonters have approached me with questions about what’s going to happen, specifically in the area of immigration,” he said. “The short answer is, we don’t know.”

The task force’s mission is to address those unknowns as they become knowns, and advise Donovan on how to respond.

In purely political terms, the task force is a masterpiece of networking. Donovan cast a wide net through Democratic and advocacy circles, essentially enlisting some very influential people onto Team T.J. And two of the three cochairs represent that rarest of commodities in Vermont — visible minorities.

An ad hoc committee charged with crafting Burlington’s sanctuary city proposal adjourned its meeting Tuesday amidst shouts as spectators accused city councilors of an exclusive process that’s lacking in transparency.

“I may seem disruptive ... but it feels like once again you are oppressing your community and not allowing us to have a voice in the process,” argued Mark Hughes, cofounder of the racial justice organization Justice For All, from the seats of Burlington City Hall Auditorium.

City Council President Jane Knodell struggled to quiet the crowd of about 20 as audience members raised their voices to argue that the new policy proposal hadn’t included enough input from stakeholders and the public.

“This is the just the beginning of the process,” Knodell responded to Hughes as the crowd yelled out dissent. “We can have a whole meeting of public forum on this topic.”

Governor-elect Phil Scott didn’t support — and has said he didn’t vote for — Donald Trump for president. But now that the two Republicans are about to take office, what kind of relationship will Vermont’s next governor have with the next president?

Scott offered some hints at a press conference Monday at his Montpelier transition office. He seemed loath to tick off the top dog, yet promised to be an “independent voice.”

Vermonters should not expect to hear Scott to raise that independent voice either for or against Trump’s staffing picks. Scott declined to characterize any of Trump’s choices so far as good or bad.

“Most of the people he’s appointed I’ve never heard of,” Scott said. “There’s not anyone in particular that I’ve thought anything about.”

Scott said he’s been focused largely on his own administration’s hiring blitz and writing a state budget that’s due two weeks after he takes office. He’s announced just two cabinet members so far and said he expects to name more on Tuesday.

Scott made several statements that indicated he’s not inclined to speak out against Trump in these early transition days. “I’m not looking to poke my finger in the eye of the president-elect,” he said, commenting that he’s “over” being distressed about Trump’s actions.

But Scott indicated he will stand up to Trump “when it’s appropriate.” That time, he said, is “when Vermont is vulnerable.”

Scott, who takes office January 5, could find Vermont in conflict with the Trump administration on any number of issues — including immigration.

The president-elect has pledged to cut federal funding to localities that become “sanctuary” cities for undocumented immigrants.

Several Vermont cities, including Burlington and Winooski, are considering establishing themselves as sanctuary cities that would not help federal authorities pursue undocumented immigrants. Scott said he supports their right to do that.

Scott said he doesn’t have plans to make significant changes in state policy on the issue. Under departing Gov. Peter Shumlin, Vermont enacted a policy directing state police not to report undocumented immigrants with whom they come into contact to federal officials.

Scott said Monday that he and his staff have not discussed that policy, even as he prepared to appoint a public safety commissioner. But he said, “I don’t expect to do anything dramatic.” He added that revoking Shumlin’s policy would qualify as dramatic.

When it comes to Trump’s threat to withhold federal funds, Scott seemed less firm. “I think we have to make sure we’re keeping that in mind,” he said. “We rely heavily on federal funding.”

Scott also said he also supports the concept behind Shumlin’s decision last week to pardon those convicted of possession of up to one ounce of marijuana before that offense was decriminalized in 2013. But the new gov is worried that the old one will stick him with the work.

Shumlin announced Thursday that he was offering pardons to as many as 17,000 Vermonters. He gave them a Christmas Day deadline to apply — just 12 days before Shumlin leaves office.

Scott said his staff reached out to Shumlin’s to emphasize he hopes the pardoning will be done before Shumlin leaves.

“It’s not an easy process,” Scott said. “My hope is he will be able to fill his responsibility.”

Shumlin spokesman Scott Coriell said that’s the plan. “It’s a priority of ours,” he said. As of Monday morning, 250 people had applied for pardons.

The Burlington City Council voted overwhelmingly Monday to back a pair of resolutions welcoming immigrants.

One supports the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the Queen City, while the second will begin the process of earning Burlington the designation of a sanctuary city. Both motions, which drew a large crowd of civilian supporters, passed easily.

Before the meeting, a group of more than 200 people held a vigil on the Burlington City Hall steps. Attendees cradled candles against the wind and carried signs supporting Syrian refugees.

“I see in this resolution the opportunity to send a message to members of our community to see that the city remains the place we enjoy today, that it is not impacted by these broader national decisions,” said Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger.

City councilors are considering making Winooski a sanctuary city.

The Onion City would put on paper its practice of not asking residents about immigration status while “providing municipal services or in the course of law enforcement,” according to a city council resolution. The resolution describes the city as Vermont’s “most diverse community.”

Councilors on Monday evening will discuss and possibly vote on the resolution, which would set in motion the research and development of specific policy, Mayor Seth Leonard said.

Updated at 6:24 p.m.

Burlington could be designated a “sanctuary city” before president-elect Donald Trump even takes office.

The Burlington City Council hopes to craft and present a resolution by the end of December, according to council President Jane Knodell. The designation would mean municipal employees, including police, would not ask people about their immigration status during calls for service. It also means city employees wouldn’t round up undocumented immigrants at the behest of the federal government.

The policy allows undocumented immigrants to contact law enforcement if they’ve been a victim of a crime, witnessed a crime or otherwise need police services — without fearing reprisal, according to police Chief Brandon del Pozo.
Queen City police have long carried out such a practice, del Pozo said.

“We want to continue the relationship of trust we’ve built with the people who need our protection by locally emphasizing crime fighting over immigration issues,” del Pozo said in a statement Friday.

As president-elect Donald Trump vows to clamp down on undocumented immigrants, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger wants to take steps in the opposite direction.

Speaking with Vermont Public Radio Thursday, Weinberger announced his intention to make Burlington a sanctuary city for immigrants, codifying protections for undocumented immigrants who are pulled over by police, and prohibiting municipal workers or law enforcement from asking about immigration status.

Burlington already meets most of those requirements, and considered formally becoming a sanctuary city in the early 2000s, Weinberger noted.

“Our practices have been consistent with cities that consider themselves sanctuary cities and what I think it is time for now, given the uncertainty in the community, is for us to take that step and to formalize our practices into policy,” he said.

Local organizations that support civil rights, refugees and access to abortion
say that since Donald Trump was elected president, they’ve received an outpouring of support.

The Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program holds volunteer orientations twice a month. More than 100 people showed up at Wednesday night’s event, community partnership coordinator Laurie Stavrand said.

“We’re just getting a lot of positive energy coming our way, which is great because it’s good when people take action,” she said Thursday. “It helps them, and it helps everybody else.”