FAQ: Know Your Responsibilities in VT
Prepared by Sara Stowell, VAAP Volunteer
KNOW YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES, IN ADDITION TO KNOWING YOUR RIGHTS
While VAAP and partners work to expand access to Know Your Rights materials on this website and in the community, we are collating here a list of seemingly benign and not uncommon “offenses” that can give rise to law enforcement interactions. Avoiding these activities will minimize the risk of being pulled over or stopped by a police officer and, for people at risk of immigration removal proceedings, of subsequently coming into contact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
responsibilities related to cars, driving, and transportation
Prohobitions against:
switching license plates from a registered car to an unregistered car to drive it anywhere
not using car seats and booster seats as mandated
overloading cars beyond the number of seatbelts available (compounded by not using car seats and booster seats for children who require them)
driving without a license/driver's privilege card
driving with a permit before you have successfully gotten your license/privilege card
driving unregistered vehicles
driving uninsured vehicles
using a cell phone while driving for talking or texting (in other words, not hands' free)
responsibilities related to day to day life
Prohibitions against:
public drinking (even on your "lawn") and public drug use (including marijuana, which continues to be a federally “controlled” or banned substance)
littering or other unauthorized disposal of waste
fighting, in public or private, that might generate a call to 911
shoplifting or taking items that belong to another without permission or payment
not sending enrolled children to school
REsponsbilities related to WORK or HIGHER EDUCATION
See VAAP’s Blog post on Immigration and Work here.
