County Executive Mark Eldridge signs Trust Act to limit local immigration enforcement

County Executive Mark Eldridge signed the Immigrant Protections Act — called the Trust Act — into law on February 20, a measure designed to limit local involvement in federal immigration enforcement and to strengthen civil-rights protections for immigrant residents.

A reporter on the scene, Marcela Rodriguez Villagram, said the law "prohibits county employees, including law enforcement, from requesting or investigating a person's immigration status unless required by law," and "bars discrimination or intimidation based on actual or perceived immigration status." The measure also "limits the use of county resources for federal immigration enforcement without a valid judicial warrant," the report said.

A lawmaker who spoke in the coverage said, "I'm just very proud that Montgomery County is putting into law our values." The speaker described the law as a statement that the county will not use local resources to discriminate against people "based on where they were born."

An agency official cautioned that local officials cannot change federal immigration policy, saying, "Local government does not control federal immigration policy. I wish we did, but we do control how we serve the people who live here," and framed the Trust Act as a local policy about service and public safety.

Supporters in the coverage argued the law is intended to build trust so immigrant residents will report crimes and cooperate with authorities. A resident asked the community to "report crime and report being the victims of crime," adding, "That's how we make our communities safer." Another commenter said, "We will be certain that immigrant communities will be protected," and a meeting participant said, "I think our children are gonna be proud of the actions that our county government is taking to make sure that they are protected."

The transcript-based reporting summarized that the Trust Act "guarantees that county services cannot be denied because of immigration status except where required by law" and that it "builds on existing county policies to strengthen civil rights protections, protecting families, and enhancing public safety by promoting trust between the community and local government." The report identified County Council President Natalie Fanny Gonzalez as having spearheaded the legislation with full council support.

The law was described in the reporting as signed into effect by the county executive; the transcript does not provide a council vote tally or additional implementation steps. Reporting from Montgomery County, Maryland, Marcela Rodriguez Villagram.