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Gaithersburg outlines immigrant resources, police clarify they do not enforce ICE actions
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Summary
City staff laid out emergency-preparation guides and a 37-entry resource list (English/Spanish) and said the Gaithersburg Police Department's role is public safety, not federal immigration enforcement. The city will provide staff training on handling ICE visits and expand distribution of materials to community partners.
Courtney Davis, the city's Director of Communications and Public Engagement, introduced a briefing on Feb. 23 that addressed rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity and summarized the city's resources for immigrant residents.
Courtney Davis said the city "cannot substantiate" circulating rumors about ICE activity but acknowledged ICE operates in the community and that rumors have created fear. She provided a hotline for confirmed immigration-enforcement incidents, +1 (888) 214-6016, and pointed residents to an immigrant-support resources page on the city website that has Google Translate enabled.
Renee Nicolosi, Community Services Division manager, said the city produced two handouts—an emergency-preparation guide and a consolidated list of 37 resources—available in English and Spanish at city locations (City Hall, activity center, police department, Benjamin Gaither Center) and online. The resource list includes four immigration-support providers, four emergency rental/utility assistance resources, six medical resources, eight mental-health resources, one housing resource, three shelter providers and three career-development services. She named providers such as Charles Gilchrist immigration resources, Manna Food Center, Housing Initiative Partnership, Montgomery County Crisis Center and Holy Cross Medical Center.
Captain Sean Eastman, Gaithersburg Police Department, described the department's mission and limits: "We do not enforce federal immigration laws," he said, and "we do not detain or arrest undocumented immigrants for simply being undocumented." Eastman said local officers wear marked uniforms and body-worn cameras and that unmarked federal vehicles have been a distinguishing factor when confusion has arisen. He emphasized the importance of trust and anonymous reporting to facilitate public-safety cooperation.
Assistant City Manager Karen Turner said the city will provide a public-facing staff training the coming Thursday to clarify how employees should respond to ICE visits, where ICE is allowed access on city property, and the internal notification chain (supervisor -> department head -> city attorney -> city manager/assistant city managers -> police). She advised staff to review documents presented by ICE but to avoid automatic access to secured areas without proper warrant.
Council members asked about broader distribution of printed materials (multifamily sites and coalition providers), additional language translations beyond Spanish, and whether attendance at community sessions had declined. Staff said they would expand distribution to contracted providers and community partners and post the materials online for multiple touchpoints.
No changes to city law or enforcement procedures were announced; staff committed to continued updates and to making the documents widely available.
