The Prince George鈥檚 County Council unanimously passed a package of new laws aimed at pushing back against President Donald Trump’s administration and its aggressive immigration enforcement policies.
In a Maryland county with a sizable immigrant population, members of the county council acknowledged it could invite more retaliation and an aggressive response.
The five new laws that were quickly signed by Council chair Krystal Oriadha would prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from staging on certain county-owned properties, ban the use of facial coverings by law enforcement officers and require county police to intervene and verify ICE agents are who they say they are, if someone sees ICE detaining another person.
The last bill, which may not even be legal, prohibits anyone who was working for ICE or Customs and Border Protection anytime after June 30 of last year from becoming a county police officer.
That last bill is similar to state legislation introduced in the House of Delegates, where it hasn鈥檛 made it out of committee. An opinion from Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown鈥檚 office said 鈥渢he bill is not clearly unconstitutional, though its constitutionality might be challenged.鈥�
鈥淚 think it’s very important that we are clearly stating that if you are a sworn officer that intentionally went to work for this administration and enact the things that they are doing, that you will not have a badge and gun and have the ability to police Prince George’s County,鈥� Oriadha said.
The council acknowledged that these actions could draw pushback from the Trump administration, including in the form of even more immigration arrests.
鈥淭here is a fear across the country if you do anything, but the reality is that that’s a tactic,鈥� Oriadha said. 鈥淚t’s a tactic that they’re using to win, and it’s a responsibility for us to fight even when scared.”
She acknowledged the council’s legislation could also face legal challenges.
鈥淲e are going to fight this administration tooth and nail,鈥� she added. 鈥淲e know that there might be opportunities where they’ll take us to court. They’ll push back, but we understand that history is going to write what happens in this moment, and that we are going to be on the right side of history.鈥�
At the same time, at-large Council member Wala Blegay argued the county has already long been under attack by this administration, whether it鈥檚 through immigration enforcement or job losses, and even the reversal of the relocation of the FBI鈥檚 headquarters to Greenbelt.
鈥淲hat else are they going to take? They’re already terrorizing our community,鈥� Blegay said. 鈥淪o we have to push back.”
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