New Montgomery County bills aim to restrict ICE access and ban face coverings
Federal law enforcement officers attempt to disperse demonstrators protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul, Minnesota, US, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. President Donal
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - Two new bills aimed at limiting how federal immigration agents operate in Montgomery County are being introduced Tuesday.
What we know:
The bills are the latest move by Democrats in Maryland’s largest jurisdiction to push back against the Trump administration’s ongoing enhanced immigration enforcement — both here in Montgomery County and across the country.
Councilmember Kristin Mink is introducing the "County Values Act," which blocks ICE from entering or using county facilities that the public doesn’t have access to.
Councilmember Will Jawando is introducing the "Unmask ICE Act," prohibiting federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from wearing masks or facial coverings in Montgomery County.
What they're saying:
"At any county facility, our residents will know that no immigration enforcement will be admitted into an area that is not open to the general public without legal review determining that they have a valid judicial warrant," said Mink.
"We don’t want ICE operating in our community," said Jawando. "We don’t want them in our public spaces and we don’t want them to be masked."
ICE has repeatedly dismissed efforts to limit their enforcement or tactics.
They tell FOX 5 that such bills have "absolutely no impact on the authority or ability of ICE to enforce federal immigration law within Montgomery County."
Advocates of immigration crackdowns say the moves may backfire on ICE opponents, putting Montgomery back in the sanctuary city spotlight.
"It definitely makes the operations easier and more streamlined than having to go to California. So yes, being on the doorstep of the nation’s capital does help the current administration when it comes to enforcing federal immigration law," said Hannah Davis from Federation for American Immigration Reform.
What's next:
Hearings are expected in the coming weeks, followed by a council vote.