The Montgomery County Council heard public testimony Tuesday on a bill that would prevent certain county departments from hiring people who recently worked in federal immigration enforcement.
Expedited Bill 29-26, the “Community Trust in County Employees Act,” would prohibit public-facing county agencies from hiring “restricted applicants” into “sensitive positions.”
What the bill would do
Under the bill, a restricted applicant is someone employed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on or after Oct. 1, 2025. It also covers people assigned by the federal government on or after that date to help enforce immigration laws. However, the bill exempts people whose federal assignment ended within six months of starting.
For example, the restriction would apply to departments that directly serve the public. These include Health and Human Services, Police, Fire and Rescue, Corrections and Rehabilitation, Transportation, Permitting Services, Recreation and the county’s public libraries.
According to the bill’s findings, federal immigration enforcement since 2025 has eroded community trust in government. As a result, the county can rebuild that trust by declining to hire people who took part in what the bill calls a discriminatory and unconstitutionally administered federal immigration system.
Councilmember Kristin Mink is the lead sponsor. Councilmember Will Jawando is a co-sponsor.
The Community Trust in County Employees Act is separate from the county’s Community Trust Act, the immigration-protection law the Council adopted earlier this year. That law is now part of a Justice Department lawsuit against Maryland over its sanctuary policies.
What speakers said
Gabriela Rivera, Montgomery County Immigrant Rights Collective speaks at Montgomery County Council hearing.
Several people testified at Tuesday’s hearing, some in support and some in opposition.
Gabriela Rivera, of the Montgomery County Immigrant Rights Collective, spoke in favor. She told the Council that fear of immigration enforcement is keeping residents from seeking county resources, and that the effect ripples across the whole community.
Residents should be able to trust local government to keep them safe, she said, and she urged the Council to pass the bill without weakening it. Rivera referenced a fatal ICE shooting in Maine the day before the hearing, in which immigrant rights groups identified the man killed as a 26-year-old from Colombia.
Esther Wells speaks at Montgomery County Council hearing.
Speaking in opposition, Esther Wells, who testified as an individual, argued the bill would create an unwarranted and overly broad screening process, calling it inconsistent and incoherent. She raised concerns about transparency, noting that impact statements residents would need to evaluate the bill were not available.
“We cannot govern from fear. Where does it end?” she said. Wells urged the Council to release the missing impact statements, protect the merit-based service system and vote no.
The staff report accompanying the bill notes that the Fiscal Impact Statement, along with the Economic, Climate, and Racial Equity and Social Justice impact statements, were not available at the time of publication.
What’s next
For now, the bill heads to a joint Public Safety and Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee work session scheduled for Oct. 1. As an expedited bill, it would take effect as soon as it becomes law.
