ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 10, 2026, On Tuesday, November 10th, the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed two bills led by Councilmember Kristin Mink (District 5) to strengthen protections for the immigrant community: Expedited Bill 29-26 prohibits the hiring of individuals recently employed federal immigration enforcement employees into certain County positions, and Expedited Bill 38-26 bans housing discrimination on the basis of citizenship and immigration status.
“I appreciate Councilmember Mink’s leadership in sponsoring these two important bills, and I was proud to co-sponsor them,” said Councilmember Will Jawando (At Large). “Both bills are sensible safeguards for residents, necessitated by the immoral federal immigration policies which are causing significant distress in our community and around the country. In Montgomery County, we will continue using every lawful tool to protect our residents, and I appreciate the support of colleagues for these bills.”
The Community Trust in County Employees Act, Expedited Bill 29-26, co-sponsored by Councilmember Jawando, aims to strengthen trust in County services by prohibiting the County from hiring recent Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) employees, and others assigned to immigration enforcement work since October 2025, into County positions that directly serve the public or hold decision-making powers regarding the distribution of resources.
“Our first responders, our food and healthcare partners, even our libraries and recreation centers, cannot fulfill their missions and responsibilities to the public without earning and maintaining the trust of the community,” said Councilmember Mink. “As this lawless federal administration works to undermine faith in government, it is incumbent upon us to take every step we can to demonstrate that here in Montgomery County, we are drawing lines in the sand.”
Craig Rice, CEO of Manna Food Center, said, “We believe it is critical that residents have confidence in their interactions with County government. Clear policies like the Community Trust in County Employees Act strengthen the effectiveness of our local network of food assistance and health and human services, and support the collaborations between nonprofits and County agencies that help residents navigate changing benefit programs and connect with available resources.”
Blen A., a high school student with Students For Asylum and Immigration Reform (Students F.A.I.R.) shared, “I have heard countless heartbreaking stories about the damage ICE and CBP agents have done to families, even in the Council Hearing room, where I watched other high school students break down as they told their personal experiences. Now imagine how those kids would feel if they learned that their newly hired bus driver, for instance, was a former ICE agent. It would be a blatant show of complicity, and would silence them as fear grows. That trust would never be recovered, and our integral immigrant communities would lose faith in our societal frameworks, such as healthcare and the justice system.”
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Expedited Bill 38-26, Discriminatory Housing Practices and Early Lease Termination, updates the County’s fair housing laws to prohibit discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status in the sale or rental of housing. It also adds detention or deportation due to immigration proceedings to the list of categories in which early termination of a residential lease is permitted. Bill 38-26 was cosponsored by Councilmembers Kate Stewart (District 4), Jawando, Shebra Evans (At Large), Dawn Luedtke (District 7), and Laurie-Anne Sayles (At Large).
“These are protections many residents assume already exist,” noted Councilmember Mink, “but they do not. My office has heard from constituents pressured to show citizenship documentation or face eviction, and another resident who was required to prove her status before submitting a lease application. We also have an ongoing stream of ICE-impacted families whose trauma is being compounded by the fact that the kidnapping of a primary income-earner has put them at risk of eviction. While incarceration is in our code for early termination of a lease, detention and deportation are not. These are issues that we can and must address locally.”
“In Rockville and across the county, discrimination and federal policies are making it harder for our immigrant neighbors to find and keep housing, and to access the support many families rely on,” said Rockville City Councilmember Izola Shaw, who testified in favor of Bill 38-26. “I commend Montgomery County for their ongoing work to push back, and I will continue pushing for Rockville to do more.”
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Demitrius Enrique, organizer at Housing Justice Montgomery said, “Housing Justice Montgomery is grateful to see the Council strengthen and expand the county’s laws that protect tenants against housing discrimination and provide more flexibility for families who have had a family member detained by ICE, which sadly continues to happen in our county. There is still more urgent work to do, and we look forward to working with the next Council and County Executive to ensure those needs are being addressed.”
“Every Montgomery County family deserves dignified, stable housing,” said Viviana Lozano, Deputy Director of Organizing for We Are CASA. “No family should be subjected to discrimination or denied the stability they need to build their lives because of who they are or where they were born. We Are CASA is proud of the Montgomery County Council for passing these protections and sending an important message that immigrant families belong in Montgomery County and deserve to live free from discrimination and fear. We celebrate Councilmember Mink’s leadership and efforts in getting this legislation passed, and we continue to encourage the County to further this progress by advancing policies that protect immigrant and working-class communities and ensure all families have the opportunity to thrive.”
Both bills will advance to be signed by County Executive Marc Elrich.
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Read the original article at mccouncil
