Council Members Push Back Against SCOTUS' Immigration Ruling

ROCKVILLE, MD — A pair of Montgomery County lawmakers are expected to introduce a resolution on Tuesday denouncing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to enforce a policy that makes it harder for poor immigrants to obtain green cards.

The rule, unveiled in August, expands the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's power to deny entry or legal status to immigrants deemed a "public charge," or possibly reliant on public assistance — like Medicaid and food stamps. In the past, the public charge rule applied to those who would be dependent on substantial cash benefits. According to The New York Times, fewer than 1 percent of applicants were denied on those grounds.

Council members Gabe Albornoz and Nancy Navarro, who will be introducing the resolution to the county council on Tuesday, called the Supreme Court's decision "short-sighted" and an attack on the legal system.

The Democrats will also hold a press conference about the resolution on the fourth floor of the Stella B. Werner Council Office Building Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.

"The recent 5-4 Supreme Court decision on public charge will cause a severe hardship to working immigrant families in our community," Albornoz said. "Our diversity is our strength. This ruling underscores President Trump's efforts to attack our legal immigration system and continue to instill fear among our most vulnerable."

Echoing Albornoz's sentiment, Navarro objected to the "short-sighted, ill-conceived ruling" and said it would have a "chilling effect" on vulnerable immigrants.

"The ruling from the Supreme Court on the matter of the Trump administration's 'public charge' rule is the antithesis of the identity of America in the 21st Century, and I join my counterparts from around the country in objection to such a short-sighted, ill-conceived ruling," Navarro said. "The consequences of being considered 'likely to become a public charge' are vast, not just for those following the legal process to adjust their immigration status, but ultimately these will have a chilling effect on those individuals who will now choose between forgoing critical public services that their families or themselves might be eligible for, due to fear that it could jeopardize their immigration status."

The Montgomery County Executive and all nine members of the county council are Democrats who have repeatedly supported policies that better protect undocumented immigrants from deportation.

In August, County Executive Marc Elrich signed an executive order that would eliminate any collaboration between county law enforcement officers and federal immigration authorities.

Under this executive order, county police officers are prohibited from asking residents about their immigration status and working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the agency behind multiple nationwide sweeps to deport undocumented immigrants last year.

Many immigration advocates and progressive residents embraced the executive order, calling it a step in the right direction for undocumented immigrant protections.

Around this time, at least half a dozen undocumented immigrants were arrested on suspicion of rape in Montgomery County, court records reveal. Some are accused of raping underage girls.

The county faced national scrutiny over these rape cases, with conservatives arguing that the region's more lenient immigration policies are to blame for the alleged assaults.

Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, was one of the critics. He took to Twitter on Sept. 3 in an effort to show what he says could happen when a county supports sanctuary policies.

More sanctuary Montgomery county consequences... sad and tragic https://t.co/bJuQTlJufL
— Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli (@HomelandKen) September 3, 2019

County leaders later slammed Cuccinelli and the conservative media — blaming them for "spreading false information" that establishes an "illogical and xenophobic connection" between a person's immigration status and their predilection for sexual assault.

According to Albornoz, hateful rhetoric and unjust policies aimed at undocumented immigrants move the county backwards.

"It is time to take a stand against discriminatory actions aimed towards our immigrant communities who move our county forward, not backwards," Albornoz said.

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• Elrich Doubles Down On Montgomery's Immigration Policies
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