Montgomery County leaders refuse 287(g) partnership, advocates press for binding ordinance

Montgomery County commissioners on May 15 reiterated that the county will not enter a 287(g) agreement with federal immigration authorities and described steps the county is taking to protect immigrant residents, but dozens of public commenters pressed the Board to adopt a binding ordinance to make those protections enforceable.

The county’s position — publicly stated in an op‑ed by Commissioner Winder and a fellow commissioner and repeated at the meeting — is that Montgomery County will not deputize county staff for federal immigration enforcement. Commissioners also said the county recently hired Neli Jimenez Arvalho to lead immigrant‑affairs work and that county attorneys are reviewing policy options, including whether the county can require judicial warrants before county agencies cooperate with federal immigration actions.

County officials and advocates said the issue matters because Montgomery County is home to roughly 100,000 immigrants, about 8–9% of the county’s roughly 868,000 residents, and because local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement can discourage victims and witnesses from contacting police or using public services.

At the meetin…