Montgomery County bans some former ICE employees from holding county jobs

The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to restrict some former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees from holding some county jobs.

The legislation will restrict the county from hiring people for “sensitive positions” if they were employed by ICE after October 2025.

That’s about nine months after President Donald Trump took office and enough time for ICE employees to “see that this administration is directing these departments to take actions that are unconstitutional, that are violent,” council member Kristin Mink said when introducing the bill in July.

Under the legislation, county department and agency heads will determine which roles are “sensitive.” Mink told The Banner following Tuesday’s vote that jobs in this category include those that involve interacting with the public or making decisions about the distribution of public resources.

The law will apply to most county departments, including Health and Human Services, Housing and Community Affairs, Transportation, Corrections and Rehabilitation, fire and rescue services, and police.

“Our first responders, our food and healthcare partners, even our libraries and recreation centers, cannot fulfill their missions and responsibilities to the public without earning and maintaining the trust of the community,” Mink said in a press release following the vote.

The bill will take effect when County Executive Marc Elrich, who supports it, signs it into law. A signing date has not yet been scheduled.

Similar bills are also under consideration across the nation.

Earlier this year, Prince George’s County Del. Adrian Boafo introduced a bill in the General Assembly that would bar any ICE agent sworn in since Trump’s inauguration from working at a state law enforcement agency, such as the Maryland State Police. The bill did not advance past its first committee hearing.

The bill that passed Tuesday is just one of several that Montgomery County has moved forward in response to increased ICE operations across the country.

“We’ve got a lawless federal administration undermining faith in the government across the board,” Mink said just before Tuesday’s vote. “It is incumbent on us to take every step that we can to demonstrate that here we have our residents’ backs and we are drawing lines in the sand.”

An ICE spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.