Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) implied during a media briefing Wednesday that he would not comply with President-elect Donald Trump’s expected requests for localities to participate in nationwide mass deportations of undocumented immigrants once he takes office in January.
“I can’t answer that without talking to my legal folks, but I think you could guess where I would go. If I don’t have to do something, I’m not doing it, particularly when it comes to violating human rights,” Elrich said when asked if county law enforcement would assist in mass deportation efforts.
Trump has said he plans to declare a national emergency and deploy the military to execute mass deportations of undocumented immigrants after he is sworn in Jan. 20, The New York Times reported Monday.
Elrich said he has not created a plan to address a potential federal deportation request.
“If this is a federal problem, I guess the federal government needs to solve it … if that’s [Trump’s] problem, he’ll find a way to solve it,” Elrich said. “In the meantime, I’ve got to make sure my resources take care of the people of Montgomery County. I do not want to displace resources and services from the people who live here, but the president has, at his disposal, unlimited money and unlimited resources.”
Earl Stoddard, the county’s assistant chief administrative officer said the county has never been a participant in the deputization process of deportations, meaning county police and other officials have not carried out deportations.
“If we have opportunities to work to eliminate violent criminals from our community or gangs or things of that nature, that’s one thing, but participating in a broader mass deportation of peaceful, non-violent … people who are here seeking asylum, for example, that’s an entirely different matter altogether,” Stoddard said.
Elrich pushed back on the idea he said he’s heard asserted that the county is a “sanctuary county.” The term commonly refers to counties or municipalities that do not cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement.
According to the county’s public information office, the county’s policy is to “not to inquire about anyone’s immigration status, nor does the county conduct any immigration enforcement or investigations.”
However, county policy requires the police department and the county’s Department of Correction and Rehabilitation to work cooperatively with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in their work on immigration and customs violations and drug and human trafficking. The county’s arrest and detention information goes to the state, and can be accessed by ICE.
“When it comes to violent criminals, drug traffickers and people who are truly dangerous and a threat to the public, we have not hesitated to cooperate,” Elrich said. “But when you’re going to start rounding up somebody simply because they don’t have papers, but they go to work every day, they pay taxes, the kids are in school, and someone just decided because you didn’t come here the right way, you’re going to be gone, that stuff we have not participated in.”
