Dear Friends,
This week, Montgomery County unveiled a new tool to help our residents report ICE activity. The reporting portal is an easy-to-access website that allows our community to share information about ICE activity in the County.
This portal is not for immediate assistance or emergencies, and it is not a real-time tracker. If you need urgent help, call 911 or the CASA hotline listed below. The portal gives the County a record of what’s happening in our community, so we can spot trends, uphold due process, and determine whether adjustments are needed based on data. The reporting portal is one of the tools called for in two of the laws enacted this year by the County Council that I proudly signed: the Unmask ICE Act and the County Values Act. You can find the portal at montgomerycountymd.gov/protecting.
On the website, you will also find information about recent laws to help protect immigrant communities. The website includes videos and one-pagers available in multiple languages, because the more our residents know, the harder it is to intimidate them.
We hear from residents often who see police activity (maybe one of our undercover operations or a routine stop) and immediately fear the worst. That constant state of fear is something we want to address.
I want to be clear about what the County can and cannot do. We cannot stop ICE from enforcing federal immigration law in Montgomery County, and this reporting mechanism will not change that. What we can do is document what is happening, track patterns, and take action within our legal authority, including enforcing the limits we have placed on where ICE can operate without a lawful warrant. We have not made it impossible for them to operate; we have just said you are not doing it on our property without following due process. I think that is an idea that many people in Montgomery County support. We have legal limitations, but we are doing everything within our power to minimize the damage ICE is making in communities.
Contrary to what you may hear, that does not make us a sanctuary jurisdiction. It serves to place limits on ICE operations within the County’s authority.
There was a record high of 60,000 people detained for immigration violations last summer, a surge of more than 50% over the previous highwater mark during Trump’s first term. Conditions in many of the detention centers are horrendous, with people being kept in massive warehouses and stripped of dignity, respect, and religious liberty. A new report from Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights found that deaths in ICE custody have climbed sharply, with at least 52 people dying since the start of this administration.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, we are in this situation. We were told that ICE’s focus would be on dangerous criminals who terrorize society, but instead, we see innocent people being targeted just to run up their numbers. ICE is now the highest-funded U.S. law enforcement agency, with $85 billion now at its disposal and additional resources to bolster its mission. Therefore, now is the time to act, to help more of our neighbors and residents.
I also want to share the CASA in Action Rapid Response Hotline: 1-888-214-6016. This tipline may also be used to report immigration raids, checkpoints, and/or detentions to help secure legal support and notify families.
We will continue to do everything we can to protect our residents and ensure that Montgomery County remains a place where you can feel secure.
Bora Biologics Opening
I want to acknowledge a very special opening this week that brought together County, state, municipal, and business leaders, as well as Representative Alexander Yui, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, to celebrate the opening of a Bora Biologics facility in Rockville.
The Bora Group is behind the single-use bioreactor (SUB) drug substance manufacturing facility. It is an important investment here in the heart of the nation’s third-largest life sciences cluster. We are excited that Bora Biologics will retain all 140 employees who previously worked for MacroGenics at this site. The company plans to expand its investment and hire more employees here in the future. The parent company is worth close to $1.5 billion, and its belief in our workforce talent and our area’s ability to keep up with their expansion plans speaks volumes about where we are.
Montgomery County is home to AstraZeneca, Samsung Biologics, and a whole range of CDMOs (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) and advanced technology companies — not just in pharma but across sectors. That didn’t happen by accident.
The investments we have made in our workforce are paying off. We need to continue focusing on improving our technological innovation and manufacturing infrastructure to help our economy grow. Our K-12 schools, the BioHub Maryland training center, Montgomery College, the Universities at Shady Grove, and the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing all play key roles in developing our talent. Maryland’s small-business matching grants and biotech investment tax credits, administered through the Maryland Department of Commerce, are also steps taken to help businesses that choose to launch new ventures here.
I have been proud to lead four delegations to Bora’s hometown in Taiwan since 2023 —councilmembers, Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee, and several County business leaders have joined me on those trips. We signed economic development MOUs with the mayors of Taipei City and Taichung, and I have had the chance to meet with innovators across every sector during each visit. One thing I hear consistently on those trips is how welcome immigrants from Taiwan, and Asia in general, feel in Montgomery County. We have made a conscious decision to ensure everyone feels welcome, so it is not a surprise that 16% of our residents are from Asia, and many have family connections in Taiwan.
As exciting as I find them, MOUs are just paper. What I am proud of is what happens between the visits — the ongoing conversations with companies from Taiwan that lead to real decisions. Two companies, one in cybersecurity and one making satellite components, decided after meetings in Taipei to open their U.S. headquarters right here in Montgomery County. Now, we are proud to add Bora’s biologics manufacturing expertise to this community, and I wish them great success.
Potomac River Swimming Warning
Even though we are only halfway through the summer, we have already seen two drownings in the Potomac River. Over the holiday weekend, a 16-year-old drowned near Great Falls Park. This is a video warning from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer.
I want to remind everyone that it is illegal to swim in the Potomac River. First responders have repeatedly urged the public to avoid swimming in the river due to strong currents and sudden drops in the riverbed. I want the family and friends of the latest victim to know we are keeping them in our thoughts during a difficult time.
Our best defense is education. We cannot monitor every square inch of the shoreline, so it is up to all of us to help those who might not understand the real consequences of swimming where they are not supposed to.
There are also penalties for illegal swimming, including fines that start at $200. Just because the U.S. Park Police can enforce the law does not mean that law enforcement has adequate staff to do that. We continue to work with our public safety partners to raise awareness and help prevent any more accidental drownings.
We encourage you to use County pools rather than open bodies of water where swimming may or may not be permitted, and please understand the risk that comes with swimming in artificial ponds near homes and developments. They may contain fish and other wildlife, rebar, or stormwater management infrastructure that you cannot see from the surface. There is no reason to put yourself at risk.
Second PFAS meeting on July 1
I want to thank everyone for participating in the second public meeting on elevated levels of PFAS chemicals found in parts of a stormwater pond and small stream near Great Seneca Highway and Key West Avenue. These areas will remain under a water‑contact health advisory. That means no swimming, fishing, or allowing kids and pets to play in the water.
Advertisement
I have shared this map above before, but to remind everyone, the locations shown in yellow with red stripes are where forever chemicals were found at concentrations higher than what is considered safe for drinking water.
This area is near the former Public Safety Training Academy, where PFAS‑containing firefighting foam was used for many years. PFAS are human‑made substances used since the 1940s in things like non‑stick cookware, water‑resistant clothing, and some food packaging. They remain in the environment for a long time, and long‑term exposure may increase the risk of certain health problems, including some cancers and effects on the immune system and cholesterol levels.
The risk of contamination is low. Studies have shown that it takes years of PFAS-laden water ingestion or consumption of PFAS-contaminated animals to result in noticeable impacts, but out of an abundance of caution, we recommend avoiding the water and washing thoroughly with soap and clean water if you, your pets, or your children are exposed.
As a reminder, WSSC Water has confirmed that drinking water drawn from the Potomac River meets all federal PFAS standards. The test sites where elevated levels were identified are not drinking water collection points. In addition, private well owners in the area have been contacted, and their wells are being tested. If you have concerns about your private well, visit the Maryland Department of the Environment’s page on drinking water wells and the Be Well Wise program.
Montgomery County and the Maryland Department of the Environment will continue additional testing of water, soil, and groundwater, and keep the public updated on what we find. A County interagency task force is already coordinating this work.
I encourage everyone to visit the County’s PFAS information page at montgomerycountymd.gov/PFAS or call 311 with questions.
Extreme Weather Swings
I hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day holiday. I want to thank the Department of Recreation and everyone who helped us put together two outstanding fireworks shows. Thousands came to watch. We had wonderful crowds and, most importantly, no serious injuries due to the heat or severe weather.
And speaking of severe weather, I want to thank all the repair crews that were called into action to help with power outages, downed trees, and other emergencies caused by strong storms this week.
Some of our communities suffered through extreme heat followed by severe storms. These are the kinds of swings we can expect more of because of climate change. In just this calendar year, we have dealt with “snowcrete”, heat domes, wild winds, a late frost, and severe drought conditions. There is a real cost to dealing with these weather extremes on top of the human costs of lives lost.
You can act now to stay informed. Sign up for Alert Montgomery to receive emergency announcements about severe weather that may impact you at home. Make a plan and build an emergency kit with help from our Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Be ready for disruptions in utility service when the weather gets bad. Check on your neighbors after a storm or during a heat wave, especially older people. They may be too proud to admit they need help.
Especially during the summer, be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion and how that differs from other heat-related illnesses, which are more severe and may require immediate medical attention. We have collected a lot of helpful information on our website, Be Cool Montgomery, or you can visit ready.gov/heat to learn more about protecting your family.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
County Executive
Read the original article at mcgov