It was a passionate Montgomery County Council hearing Tuesday as people spoke up to support immigrants and a council bill that aims to protect them.
A Student’s Story
Mark Antony Briseno, a senior at Seneca Valley High School, is the son of two undocumented immigrants.
“My parents mean everything to me. I never imagined anything could happen that would separate us. But on December 17, everything changed,” Briseno said during Tuesday’s hearing.
Briseno said that December morning, his father — who has lived in the U.S. since the late 1980s — was taken by ICE while leaving Home Depot in Silver Spring. Briseno and his mother did not know where he was for more than 13 hours until he called.
When he finally called, Briseno’s father told them that inside the detention center, people were not given blankets, could not use the bathroom regularly, and were forced to sleep on the floor. According to Briseno, ICE agents told people that if they wanted the suffering to stop, they just had to sign a document agreeing to deportation. His father was malnourished and exhausted, and even considered signing, but Briseno and his mother begged him not to.
Now, 17-year-old Briseno has been forced to grow up overnight, he said. He said his mother has been hit even harder.
“This is why The Trust Act matters,” Briseno said. “No family should go through what mine is going through.”
The Trust Act
Council President Natali Fani-González announced The Trust Act last month, which would codify a 2019 Montgomery County Executive Order that was intended to ensure the constitutional rights of county residents who are immigrants are not violated.
The bill would expressly prohibit discriminatory practices by the county toward immigrants, limit county resources for federal immigration enforcement, and make sure that county services are given regardless of immigration status, per a council release. Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada and County Executive Marc Elrich joined a press conference with Fani-González and other councilmembers last month in support of the bill.
Others Testify in Support
Ama Frimpong, legal director for CASA, said in the past six months alone, CASA has responded to the confirmed ICE detentions of more than 100 Montgomery County residents, impacting an estimated 350 household members — “And these are just the cases that have been reported to CASA,” said Frimpong, who immigrated from Ghana as a child.
Nicole Isern, an educator born in Peru who has lived in Montgomery County for 23 years, said families cannot safely cross the D.C. border to take their kids to Children’s National Hospital for specialized care. Instead, companions, school social workers or staff have to take kids so parents can stay hidden and safe.
“When was the last time any of you sent your child to a pre-surgical appointment without you, accompanied only by a school employee?” Isern said tearfully. “This is not a solution, it’s trauma management.”
Omar Lazo with the Montgomery County Latino Restaurant Association said he has sat across from restaurant owners who had tears in their eyes because they don’t know if they can stay open — “What is happening in our immigrant communities is not theoretical. It’s painful, personal, and deeply destabilizing.”
Sean Link, an attorney with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender’s immigration division, testified in support of the bill. He said the bill “protects the due process rights of everyone in Montgomery County.”
“When they shot Renee Good in the face, what Bible were they reading from?” said Rabbi Scott Perlo with Jews United for Justice.
“When they shackled Kilmar Abrego Garcia and took him from his wife and family, where were they reading in the Bible, in the Torah, in the Quran?” he said.
Some Testified Against The Bill
A couple of people testified against the bill. Stacey Sauter, member of the Montgomery County Republican Party Executive Committee, said it’s not about compassion but good governance — “immigrants are already protected by important civil rights,” she said. But what’s too often overlooked are civic rights like “transparency, responsible stewardship of public funds, and equal application of the law,” Sauter said.
Amy Waychoff, who has lived in the county for 38 years, said the bill “endangers public safety by shielding criminal illegal aliens from federal authorities” and builds a wall between local law enforcement and ICE.
Next Step
A council committee worksession on the bill is planned for Jan. 28.
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