Montgomery County council president highlights Trust Act protections for immigrants

Natalie Fanny Gonz1lez, identified on air as president of the Montgomery County Council, summarized the local "ley de confianza" (Trust Act) that she said the council recently approved unanimously. Gonz1lez described the law as intended to let residents request emergency services, cooperate with police and access county programs without fear that their immigration status will be used against them.

"La aplicaci3n de las leyes de inmigraci3n es responsabilidad del gobierno federal, no del condado de Montgomery," Gonz1lez said, adding that county forms no longer ask unnecessary questions about immigration status and that local officials will not provide federal immigration officers access to private county areas without a judicial order. She said schools in the county do not collect or share immigration records with immigration authorities except when required by a court order.

Gonz1lez gave a hotline number listeners can use for immigration-related incidents: 1-888-214-6016. She framed the law as part of the county's broader public-safety and inclusion goals, saying residents should feel able to cooperate with local agencies.

Why this matters: the Trust Act is presented as a local policy designed to reduce barriers to reporting crimes and requesting services among immigrant community members. The council president's remarks provide the county's summary of how the law affects county forms, school records and police interaction with federal immigration authorities.

The program advised listeners to call the hotline for immigration incidents and to reach county services without fear of routine immigration inquiries.