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Tag: kristin mink

  • ‘We have to stand with the community’: Montgomery Co. leaders introduce bills to limit immigration enforcement – WTOP News

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    Montgomery County Council members Will Jawando and Kristin Mink are proposing bills to limit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to county facilities and bar the use of masks by law enforcement.

    Montgomery County Council members Will Jawando and Kristin Mink are proposing bills to limit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to county facilities and bar the use of masks by law enforcement.

    Mink is introducing the “County Values Act” which, she told WTOP, builds on existing state law.

    Referring to ICE’s ability to carry out enforcement at certain locations, she said the state’s existing legislation “established that a judicial warrant requirement must be used at certain sensitive locations which were defined by the state as places like schools, libraries, et cetera.”

    Mink’s bill expands on that state legislation to include the judicial warrant requirement at all county facilities, including recreation centers.

    Asked about the language in the bill that refers to nonpublic areas, Mink explained that would be any part of a county facility where residents are required to sign in to use a space, or to show ID to prove they’re a county resident and therefore have access to a space.

    For example, she said, at a recreation or aquatic facility, “to get into the pool area, there’s a process, right? That’s not just open for anybody to walk in.”

    “We need to make sure that all of our county staff know, that wherever they are, whatever building they’re in,” they do not need to let ICE agents or officers in without a judicial warrant, Mink said. “And they can get legal support on the phone right away to review that.”

    Mink said county council members have heard from residents — including U.S. citizens — who are concerned about immigration enforcement efforts in their neighborhoods.

    “We have to stand with the community,” she said. “In this moment, as a county, we have to be able to look back and say that we did every single thing that we could possibly do … from the terrorism that is being wrought upon us.”

    Mink’s bill would also deny ICE access to county parking garages, parking lots and county-owned vacant lots.

    Council member Jawando will also be introducing a bill — the “Unmask ICE Act” — that would prohibit law enforcement from wearing masks, with some exceptions.

    Law enforcement “are not to wear masks in our community,” Jawando said. “And our law enforcement already doesn’t wear masks, but this would be codifying that practice.”

    Asked about whether the ban on face coverings on agents and officers in law enforcement could stand up to legal challenge, Jawando said, “The state of California and … LA County passed this legislation. It’s being challenged by the Trump administration. I suspect they may challenge this one in court as well, and I’m happy to have that debate.”

    The bills will be introduced at Tuesday’s council session. The lawmakers plan a news conference later that day to discuss details and introduce supporters of the bills.

    WTOP has reached out to ICE for comment on the proposed legislation.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Kate Ryan

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  • WATCH: Montgomery County Council member confronted by apparent ICE agents – WTOP News

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    Montgomery County Council member Kristin Mink said she is considering all her legal options after a Monday morning confrontation with ICE agents in Adelphi, Maryland.

    Montgomery County Council member Kristin Mink said she is considering all her legal options after a Monday morning confrontation with ICE agents in Adelphi, Maryland.

    Mink said she was walking near a school when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers made what appears to be an arrest, and Mink began recording the events. Moments later, she was confronted by two officers.

    The video, which Mink shared on Facebook, shows two men, who Mink said were ICE agents, making an arrest in Adelphi, just before 7:30 a.m.

    You can hear the confrontation appear to escalate as the men get closer to Mink.

    As they approach, Mink can be heard saying, “Don’t touch me,” as another man repeatedly says, “You got to go.”

    One of the agents moves closer, grabbing at her left arm, and Mink said he grabbed her phone. She can be heard in the video saying, “Don’t touch my phone.”

    “You got to go over there,” said one of the men, who appeared to have a holstered weapon.

    The two men then back off, according to the video, and moments later get into two SUVs, one white and one black, and drive toward Mink.

    “I’m behind Tick Tock Liquors, Monday morning. This vehicle looks like it’s about to drive into me,” Mink said in the video. The two vehicles faced her momentarily, and then drove away.

    Mink told WTOP the two aggressively approached her, and one agent tried to grab her phone to stop her from recording and then he touched her face during the confrontation.

    “I didn’t know they would be around the corner when I entered that parking lot. But I was not shocked to see them,” she said. “Two of them approached me from across the parking lot, yelling at me and pointing at me. … One of them grabbed me by the arm and pulled me and reached for my phone as well, which I pulled away.”

    Mink told WTOP she was startled by what took place and did not identify herself as an elected official.

    Mink said she has no intention of stopping what she’s doing and since ICE has stepped up its actions, she’s gone to areas where agents may be making arrests.

    “The terrorizing of our communities is my business. It’s all of our business. We have the First Amendment right to film. And we’re not going anywhere,” she said in the same social media post after the incident. “I encourage everyone to be well versed on your rights and your neighbors’ rights, to consider all levers you may have to harden your workplace against efforts ICE may make to enter without a judicial warrant.”

    Mink indicated that she’s weighing all possible legal courses of action.

    “From my perspective, they were attempting to be threatening and intimidating, and it felt important to stand my ground,” she said. “They are untrained and did not know what to do. But it was very clear that they didn’t want me there, and they didn’t want me recording. … I am exploring all legal options at this point.”

    WTOP has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on what took place.

    Mink was elected to the county council in 2022 and represents District 5, which includes White Oak, Fairland, Colesville and Burtonsville.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Dan Ronan

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  • Reported immigration enforcement near middle school raises concern in Montgomery County – WTOP News

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    Montgomery County officials are trying to reassure communities rattled by an incident involving the immigration arrest of two men near a Silver Spring middle school.

    Montgomery County officials are trying to reassure communities rattled by an incident involving the arrest of two men near a Silver Spring middle school in Maryland.

    According to an account posted by Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink on her Facebook page, an Eastern Middle School parent described the arrest as being carried out by “Two heavily armed, masked men.” The parent said two men were chased, detained and then walked handcuffed along the sidewalk near the school.

    In a message to the Montgomery County school community posted on the school system’s website on Tuesday, Montgomery County Public School Superintendent Thomas Taylor referred to the Sept. 10 incident as a “federal immigration enforcement action,” and said, “For many in our community, immigration enforcement is not simply a policy issue; it is deeply personal.”

    Taylor restated his commitment to what he called “Strict Protocols for Immigration Enforcement Visits” and described the procedures that the schools follow in those cases.

    During a briefing with reporters on Wednesday, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich called the incident “destabilizing” for children who witnessed it, which happened when children and parents were arriving for the morning drop-off at the middle school.

    “I’m sure that makes the kids even more nervous about coming to school, and that’s the last thing we need,” he said.

    Erlich said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Council officials that they weren’t going to do enforcement actions at schools.

    During Elrich’s briefing, Louisa Cardona, recently appointed the county’s assistant chief administrative officer, urged families to “please make sure that your family has a family preparedness plan, please encourage your neighbors” to do the same, she said, suggesting that families contact the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center for more information.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Kate Ryan

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  • Montgomery Co. Council passes $7 billion budget, criticizes proposed school cuts – WTOP News

    Montgomery Co. Council passes $7 billion budget, criticizes proposed school cuts – WTOP News

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    The Montgomery County Council has approved a $7.1 billion budget that included funding on the same day teachers urged the school board to avoid cutting up to 300 positions.

    The Montgomery County Council has approved a $7.1 billion budget that included funding on the same day teachers urged the school board to avoid cutting up to 300 positions.

    According to a statement from the Montgomery County Education Association, which represents teachers and school staff, the Montgomery County Board of Education called for a reduction in force.

    The MCEA statement said the group “vigorously rejects this ill-conceived plan” and said that the membership was “shocked to learn of MCPS’ plan for layoffs and the cancellation of new contracts.”

    Montgomery County Council President Andrew Friedson noted that the council approved funding 99.2% of the school system’s budget request.

    Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass blasted the school board during the council voting session Thursday, saying that the council had been deliberating on budget plans for months.

    Referring to the school board, which started its Thursday meeting with a closed-door session, Glass complained about the timing of the move.

    “And they’re giving us information now of their decision? Shame on them. Blindsiding us, blindsiding our educators, blindsiding the entire community,” Glass said.

    Councilmember Kristin Mink — who, along with Councilmember Will Jawando, abstained from voting on the school board budget — repeated her own concerns that the council needed to increase funding to schools.

    Mink said it was clear from earlier deliberations that the school planned some belt-tightening measures.

    “I know there are concerns out there about whether or not — is this really real, or is this crying wolf,” Mink said. She added that the cuts could damage the school system’s hiring efforts “for years and years to come.”

    “No teachers are going to come to Montgomery County if they know that your contract could be broken” or that new hires could see job offers rescinded, Mink concluded.

    ‘More support, not less’

    Jawando, who heads the council’s Education and Culture Committee, said 143 teachers could be fired, while 177 teachers offered contracts could see them rescinded.

    “If you take those numbers together, that’s 320 teachers,” Jawando said. “The bottom line is that a significant number of teachers will be gone.”

    Referring to the cuts, Jawando said we “can’t let this happen.”

    “One thing I’m clear on is our students need more, not less,” he said. “Our teachers need more support, not less.”

    During the school board meeting on Thursday, Jennifer Martin, current president of MCEA, urged the board to meet with them to discuss alternatives to layoffs and cancelled contracts, prompting dozens of MCEA members in the audience to stand and applaud.

    “To our staff, I want to say, we do not make these decisions easily and they are not our first choice,” school board president Karla Silvestre said at the Thursday meeting.

    ‘Difficult decisions that may be necessary’

    On Friday, after WTOP asked for comment from a member of the school board, Liliana Lopez, Communications Director for the Board of Education, included a link to a “community message” from Interim Superintendent Monique Felder and Board President Karla Silvestre.

    “We have previously shared with County Council members, our employee bargaining unit associations and our community partners the difficult decisions that may be necessary to address the significant financial constraints our county is facing,” the joint statement said.

    “Lately, there has been public discussion about $13.7 million in contractual services that were not itemized in a list given to County Council and the employee bargaining unit associations’ leadership. The list was intended to share information about major contracts and present examples of major contracts by budget category.”

    MCPS didn’t include specific information on the number of positions that could be affected by the ongoing budget concerns.

    The school board meets on July 11 to approve its budget.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Kate Ryan

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