The Latest: Mayor fears end of refugee resettlement for city

MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Latest on the task force formed to investigate immigration issues in Vermont (all times local):

5:45 p.m.

Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras says he fears that the federal government’s possible refugee policy could halt the refugee resettlement program for the city.

President Donald Trump is proposing to reduce the maximum number of refugees by more than half, to 50,000, for the budget year ending in September.

Louras has said up to 100 people from Syria and Iraq were expected to join the community by the end of September. The first two families arrived recently.

Vermont’s Democratic attorney general announced Wednesday that he formed a task force to advise his office on its authority on immigration matters amid uncertainty about the federal government’s plans for refugees the state has started welcoming Syrian refugee families.

T.J. Donovan made the announcement at a Statehouse press conference as Trump was reviewing proposals that would restrict the flow of refugees to the United States.

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10:50 a.m.

Vermont’s Democratic attorney general has formed a task force to advise his office on the scope of its authority on immigration matters amid uncertainty about the Trump administration’s plans for refugee policy.

T. J. Donovan made the announcement at a Statehouse press conference Wednesday.

He says it’s unknown right now what the state can do on an area that is mostly federal jurisdiction.

The announcement comes as Vermont is welcoming Syrian refugee families. The Rutland mayor says up to 100 people from Syria and Iraq are expected to join the community by the end of September.

Some communities in Vermont also want to become sanctuary cities, to adopt policies that would protect immigrants.

Donovan says he has concerns about sanctuary cities because there’s not a legal status for such communities.