Taylor shares concern for ICE surge, support for MCPS staff in letter

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor is calling out President Donald Trump as the district prepares for a potential surge in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the county.

In a letter sent to MCPS staff on Thursday and obtained by The Banner, Taylor wrote that it has been “heavy, painful, and even traumatic” to see “families separated in public view, lives lost amid unrest, and racist language and imagery targeting the former President of the United States and First Lady, as well as, other leaders and communities of color.”

Taylor said that these current events and “visuals of hate and despair do not represent our values” and that he was reaching out to remind staff of protocol in the event of ICE activity.

In December, a Banner analysis found that Montgomery County schools lost about a dozen students who were deported or left the country with their deported parents since the beginning of this school year. There have been no reports from the school system of students being detained on campus.

Schools across the state have been on alert amid rumors of an influx of ICE agents coming to Maryland.

In his letter, Taylor wrote that MCPS does not consent to immigration enforcement operations on school property without a valid warrant or emergency circumstances, and will not invite immigration enforcement to any schools.

If law enforcement activity were to occur on school grounds, school administrators, security staff and MCPS Legal Services would lead the response.

The email also included a link to a private video that provided guidance to school system staff on employee roles and responsibilities when interacting with federal law enforcement. There was also a link to grade-appropriate lesson plans to explain to students what is happening, only accessible to those with an MCPS email address.

Raskin to bring family of Epstein survivor to State of the Union

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia, will use their two guest invitations to bring two family members of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein, to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Sky and Amanda Roberts are the brother and sister-in-law, respectively, of Giuffre. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025. A memoir she wrote about her allegations of abuse by Epstein was published posthumously in October 2025.

“Giuffre bravely pursued justice for the victims and accountability for the perpetrators of the horrific crimes committed against girls and young women,” Raskin said in a press release Friday.

The Takoma Park congressman said he hopes the presence of Giuffre’s family at Trump’s speech will “honor Virginia’s memory and lead a chorus of voices from across America and the world demanding truth and justice, the opposite of what Donald Trump and Pam Bondi have been working for in their shocking coverup.”

This is not the first time Raskin has used his guest spot at the State of the Union to make a statement to Trump. Last year, he invited Montgomery County resident Lauren McGee, a pediatric and canine cancer researcher who lost her job at the National Institutes of Health due to the administration’s mass layoffs.

Jawando seeks fine waiver after state elections board campaign finance website glitch

County Executive candidate Will Jawando is seeking a waiver for a $1,000 fine he received after a glitch with the state elections board campaign finance website, a campaign staff member told The Banner on Friday.

Jawando was one of a handful of candidates running for office in Montgomery County who experienced problems with the state’s new online campaign finance system during the January reporting cycle. County Council at-large candidate Karla Silvestre also told The Banner she had filing issues, and County Executive Evan Glass’ submitted reports briefly disappeared from the site on the day of the filing deadline after they’d been posted. Some campaign staffers voiced frustration that the state board would launch a new reporting system mid-election cycle.

Jawando was struck with a late submission fine, campaign staffer David Kunes said, even though he tried to submit reports on time and the system didn’t work. Jawando paid the fine on Wednesday so the waiver could be considered by the state boards, in hopes it will be refunded, Kunes said.

The state elections board did not immediately respond to a request for comment.