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Montgomery County council president to introduce local 'Trust Act' limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement
Summary
Councilmember Natalie Fanny González said she will present a local 'Trust Act' to the Montgomery County Council on Dec. 9 to codify that county authorities will not ask for residents' immigration information or act as immigration agents, with a stated exception for people accused of violent criminal acts.
Councilmember Natalie Fanny González, president of the Montgomery County Council and chair of the council's Economic Development Committee, said she will introduce a local "Trust Act" designed to prohibit Montgomery County officials from requesting residents' immigration information or acting as immigration agents, with a limited exception for individuals accused of violent criminal offenses.
"Estoy presentando una legislación que se llama el acta de confianza para poner en ley de que Montgomery County no le estamos pidiendo a las personas... la policía no no actúa como agentes de inmigración," González said, announcing the bill will be presented to the council on Dec. 9. She framed the measure as a way to reduce fear among immigrants seeking food, health services and schooling.
Asked to define the exception, González said undocumented immigration is a civil violation and not a criminal act, and that the county's noncooperation policy would not apply when a person is accused of a violent criminal offense. "Ser inmigrante indocumentado no es un acto criminal... un acto criminal violento quiere decir una persona que... hizo algo violento en contra de otra persona," she said.
González said the proposed ordinance would "codify" existing county practices and clarify residents' rights to services and dignity regardless of immigration status. She described the proposal as part of broader efforts to protect Latino and immigrant communities, which she said were motivating her leadership priorities.
The announcement came during a Spanish-language radio interview in which González, who identified herself as the only immigrant on the council, said the measure is intended to reassure residents who may be confused by recent changes to police uniform patches. No text of the ordinance was released during the interview, and González did not cite a state statute or other legal source as the basis for the local measure.
Next steps: González said she will formally present the ordinance to the council on Dec. 9; the interview did not record a vote or formal council action on the bill.
