Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – The Montgomery County Republican party’s getting signatures for a petition to rescind an executive order barring county officials from cooperating with ICE.
The petition includes this line, “Montgomery County has become a hotbed of illegal alien criminal activity that threatens residents; especially the most vulnerable – women and children – from immigrant communities! County law enforcement needs their handcuffs removed now!”
The petition was created following a dueling rally over illegal immigration outside the county council office building. ICE supporters decided to hold the rally in response to the Promoting Community Trust Executive Order and the news that seven illegal immigrants living in the county were recently charged with sexual assault, including a number of cases involving young children. This all comes as the national debate over illegal immigration heats up, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office and former attorney general of Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli, has called the county during interviews with national and local news outlets.
While ICE supporters gathered on one side of Maryland Avenue September 13, immigration rights advocates held their own rally on the other side. County Executive Marc Elrich told WMAL in an interview after the rally that the executive order does allow the county to notify ICE when an illegal immigrant with a detainer who has been charged with a “serious” crime will be released but added they don’t always get much notice before the courts decide to release people.
When asked what constitutes a serious crime, Elrich said, “A bunch of things. Murder, rape, assault, sexual assault, burglary. I mean there’s a pretty long list of serious crimes, anything with a gun or weapon.”
Chair of the Montgomery County Republican Party Alexander Bush said that’s unclear.
“If he is going to have an arbitrary list, he should at least make it, you know, any felony, or, you know, any crime of violence. That might be more straightforward,” Bush said.
Bush added he does not think Elrich should do that. He and others in his party believe the county should notify ICE whenever any illegal immigrant with a detainer is going to be released.
Bush has not contacted Elrich directly about the executive order but noted Elrich did not speak with protesters at the rally.
“Even if you don’t feel represented by the county council, politicians are still very vulnerable to shame. You get them bad media attention. You let them know on social media what you think of their policies,” Bush said.
Bush hopes all Montgomery County residents sign the petition but knows that is not realistic.
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