Burlington’s Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak signed an executive order pertaining to ICE actions in City Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Photo by Auditi Guha/VTDigger BURLINGTON — Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak signed an executive order Tuesday to establish citywide protocols in response to potential surg e in ICE activity as has been seen throughout the country. Cities like Minneapolis and Portland, Maine have seen large-scale and violent immigration crackdowns in recent weeks. “There is no indication at this time that federal immigration enforcement activity is increasing in Burlington,” the mayor said at a press conference in City Hall Tuesday. “But Vermonters have seen how quickly situations can escalate in other communities across the country. Preparation protects public safety and community trust.” The five-page executive order, titled “Affirming Our Commitment to Preparedness, Due Process, and Community Trust: City of Burlington Response to Federal Immigration Enforcement Activity,” outlines city preparedness efforts and local police response in case U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions escalate in Burlington. “This is about preparation, this is about transparency and this is about maintaining trust between our residents and their local government,” Mulvaney-Stanak said. With Vermonters, particularly immigrants, affected by ICE actions across the region and nation, the order looks to prioritize the safety, dignity and constitutional rights of all residents, regardless of immigration status, race or national origin. The order directs the city administration to update the local emergency management plan. This includes clarifying procedures for emergency operations, updating citywide alert systems, rapid response tools and communications, and instructing departments to identify community resources that can support residents affected by immigration enforcement actions.  The order also clarifies that the Burlington Police Department remains “a locally-controlled law enforcement agency focused on our community safety,” Mulvaney-Stanak said, and “will not engage or assist with civil immigration enforcement. City resources, personnel, property and data will not be used to support civil federal immigration enforcement.” If intensified ICE actions occur in Burlington, police “must respond to the scene in a lawful, non-interfering way, document what occurs, preserve evidence and ensure emergency medical care is provided if anyone is injured,” she said. Police must also send credible reports of unlawful conduct to her and to the local state’s attorney, she added. The executive order was crafted after monthslong discussions with city department heads — including Police Chief Shawn Burke, Fire Chief Michael Curtin and Racial Equity, Inclusion Belonging Director Kelli Perkins — as well as with local school leaders and community partners. Additionally, the Burlington City Council is expected to introduce a resolution pressing Vermont’s congressional delegation to dismantle ICE at its meeting Tuesday night. The resolution, titled “ICE Out of Burlington,” outlines the board’s formal opposition to ICE enforcement actions in Burlington and across the state, including the use of city or state facilities for ICE operations and the “warrantless surveillance” of residents. The resolution also outlines opposition to the entry of ICE agents into protected areas of municipal property without valid judicial warrants. Weeks in the making, the resolution is “very much aligned” with the mayor’s executive order and has the full support of the 12-member board, according to City Council President Ben Traverse. The hope is to “ensure that we’re prepared in the hopefully unlikely” event that a situation like Minneapolis unfolds in Burlington, he said. Burlington’s executive order and City Council resolution come after Williston and South Burlington announced similar declarations opposing ICE surveillance and detentions, and after city and statewide protests against ICE. Read the story on VTDigger here: Burlington mayor signs executive order outlining local ICE protocols. ...read more read less