The mayor of Burlington said he wants to make it a "sanctuary city" to help worried immigrant populations, joining other mayors who say they plan to do all they can to protect residents from deportation. Republican President-elect Donald Trump has said that he'd strip federal funding from cities that have policies to shelter or protect immigrants in the country illegally. Democratic Mayor Miro Weinberger said his city's intention is to keep following the practices of not asking about immigration status when providing municipal services. He said he wants immigrants to know they are living in the same Burlington today as they were before Election Day. Weinberger said the city is not going to turn Burlington police and city officials into deputies of the federal government. He said he wants Burlington to be considered a welcoming and inclusive city for people of all backgrounds. Weinberger said he will work with the city council to formalize its practices and turn them into new policies. Police Chief Brandon del Pozo said he agreed with the mayor's position. "People worried the local police are looking to deport them will hesitate to help us apprehend criminals and get services to victims," del Pozo said. He said the policy makes victims and witnesses more likely to report crimes and cooperate with investigations. "We want to continue the relationship of trust we've built with the people who need our protection by locally emphasizing crime fighting over immigration issues," he said. Members of Migrant Justice in Burlington appreciate the steps that city officials are taking. "It's a message of hope in the middle of a lot of stuff is happening and it reminds us that a lot more cities need to be doing this," Abel Luna said. "We need to, as citizens, stand behind the mayor and support him ." Another acknowledges that regardless of steps the city is taking, they will continue to struggle with Trump as president. "Our work will be to continue our struggle for our rights, the one that we have been doing for so many years," Roger Balcazar, translated by Brendan O’Neill, said. "With that, we will be changing the way that people think and even the way he thinks. Trump that is."