Attorney General TJ Donovan speaks about immigration enforcement recently, surrounded by other state leaders. File photo by Anne Galloway/VTDigger
Attorney General TJ Donovan went to the White House on Tuesday when he was in Washington for a meeting of states’ top law enforcement officials.
During the visit, President Donald Trump met with the group in the East Room and took questions, Donovan said Wednesday. The president was generous with his time and answered every question, he said.
“I appreciate it,” Donovan said. “It does not limit or erode our opposition to any of these issues that we’ve been fighting on, but I certainly will give him credit for … the graciousness of the invitation and the amount of time he gave us.”
During the meeting, somebody asked the president about immigration policy, according to Donovan.
“He was very direct that his job is to protect this country,” Donovan said. “I think we all agree with it, it’s the how part.”
The Vermont official, who said he loves history, described himself as awed by the building. It was Donovan’s first visit to the White House.
During the conference, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions addressed the group of attorneys general and was “gracious in his remarks,” Donovan said.
In general, his message was about cooperation and collaboration, Donovan said. The speech seemed to indicate a shift in tone from the early phase of the administration, he said.
“Look, there’s going to be issues we disagree on,” Donovan said. “But my hope is we can try to work things out, and when those disagreements can’t be worked out, we have these disagreements the way we do in this country and that is through an independent branch of government: the judiciary.”
Donovan is among the broad group of Vermont officials who backed legislation limiting state cooperation with executive orders on immigration Trump signed in January.
“We have to be ready and willing to continue to protect Vermonters, to defend Vermonters and to stand in opposition on the issues that we hold dear,” Donovan said.
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