On Friday, November 4, 2011, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and the Department of Public Safety issued a new policy for the Vermont State Police which impacts when the State Police are allowed to question a person's immigration status.

The policy makes clear that State Police cannot inquire into a person's immigration status during a civil investigation, such as a routine traffic stop.

The new policy explains it is not the law enforcement priority for the Vermont State Police to detect or apprehend individuals whose only violation is that they are in the U.S. without authorization. Further, the policy provides that in a criminal investigation, State Police can only inquire into a person's immigration status if it is relevant to the criminal investigation or the person is under arrest.