Vermont inks new detention agreement with federal immigration authorities 

Vermont has inked a new agreement with U.S. immigration authorities, allowing them to continue using the state’s prisons for federal detentions.

The memorandum of understanding between the Vermont Department of Corrections, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Border Patrol signed last week mirrors a previous agreement between the parties. But unlike the prior document, this agreement pays the state an increasing amount per person per day for holding federal immigration detainees and does not have an expiration date.

While Gov. Phil Scott’s renewal of the agreement is not a surprise, the state’s detention arrangement has attracted scrutiny from Democrats and advocates for noncitizens in Vermont, many of whom have been critical of recent increased federal immigration enforcement