Police Can't Ask About Immigration Status Under Rockville Ordinance

ROCKVILLE, MD — Rockville leaders and residents are divided on whether a new ordinance that forbids police from asking about a person's immigration status will encourage undocumented residents to report crimes or if the measure is the first step toward becoming a sanctuary city. Monday's vote comes after a surge in gang violence in Montgomery County that included a Gaithersburg teen's murder, and the arrest of two students who are in the country illegally and were accused of assaulting a girl before she recanted the allegations.

Rockville's mayor and council approved its ordinance Monday night, which restricts Rockville police officers and other City employees from asking about a person's immigration status or enforcing federal immigration law. The "Fostering Community Trust" ordinance was approved on a 3-2 vote. Bill sponsor Julie Palakovich Carr and her council colleagues, Virginia Onley and Mark Pierzchala, supported the measure, while Beryl Feinberg and Mayor Bridget Donnell Newtown voted against it.

The new ordinance amends and adds a section to Chapter 11 of the City of Rockville's "Human Rights" code, according to a press release. Before the ordinance was passed, the Rockville City Police Department did not have a formal, written policy on how officers should interact with members of the community relevant to federal immigration law.

Rockville police followed policies and guidelines established by the Montgomery County Police Department, as well as all state and federal laws. Now, the ordinance will systematize the city's unwritten policy that city employees can not inquire about a person's immigration status or cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

The change to the code was introduced by Palakovich Carr at the Feb. 27 Mayor and Council meeting. A March 6 public hearing on the role of the Rockville Police Department in the enforcement of federal immigration laws attracted a significant amount of public testimony and written comment. More than 70 speakers weighed in on the ordinance, and supporters and opponents were evenly split on the policy.

On Monday night, most of the approximately 40 speakers supported the measure, Bethesda Magazine reports. Supporters said they think the ordinance will help undocumented immigrants feel comfortable reporting crimes and providing information to police, which they believe will benefit Rockville as a whole.

“What measures like this do is ensure that the federal civil rights of all individuals, including noncitizens, are protected,” Rockville resident Marianna Follingstad said, according to Bethesda Magazine. “It makes everyone safer.”

Ten people spoke against the measure at the meeting Monday, saying passing the ordinance will encourage undocumented immigrants to live in Rockville. They believe this would lead to more crime, disrespect for the rule of law and overcrowded schools.

"Montgomery County Maryland, and its townships and cities, including Rockville, Maryland will continue to see a rise in gang-related violent and heinous acts of violence and the continuing of rising educational costs and burdens," a resident emailed Patch. "The county residents have been stripped of their dignity, their voices, and most of all, their wallets."

Council member Onley said the ordinance will not make Rockville a "sanctuary city" because the city will continue to send people who are arrested to the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, which shares information with federal law enforcement.

Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton, who voted against the ordinance, believes the measure may prevent local officers from properly doing their jobs by restricting them from working with federal law enforcement agencies.

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