By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Montgomery County’s Trust Act, which restricts state and local agency cooperation with federal immigration authorities, is facing renewed scrutiny following a July Potomac River water rescue conducted while Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were conducting an enforcement operation nearby.
- Department of Homeland Security reported ICE agents detained two Mexican nationals present in the country illegally along the riverbank; a third person entered the river and remained missing after swimming across the waterway.
- Montgomery County Fire and Rescue crews responded to assess the scene and subsequently departed after determining no individuals remained in the water.
- The incident has prompted some county officials and residents to question whether the Trust Act should be reconsidered, while county leadership maintains that firefighters and EMS personnel remain focused on their primary life-protection mission during emergencies.
- The Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association criticized the response to the incident, arguing that focus shifted from first responders’ duty to protect lives to debate over immigration policy.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Montgomery County’s Trust Act limiting cooperation between state and local agencies and federal immigration enforcement authorities is drawing renewed scrutiny following a July water rescue operation on the Potomac River conducted concurrent with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforcement operation.
A July incident resulted in a situation requiring emergency response coordination during federal immigration enforcement activity. The Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE agents detained two Mexican nationals present in the country illegally along the Potomac River. A third individual entered the river and evaded apprehension by swimming across the waterway, remaining missing following the incident.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel responded to the scene to assess conditions and determine whether water rescue operations were necessary. Crews evaluated the river and surrounding area and determined that no individuals remained in the water before departing the location.
The Trust Act restricts cooperation between Montgomery County first responders and federal immigration authorities, establishing limitations on assistance with federal immigration enforcement operations. Despite these restrictions, fire and emergency medical services personnel retain responsibility for protecting lives during emergency situations and are required to coordinate with law enforcement during rescue operations connected to police activities.
County Councilmember Kristin Mink stated that the incident highlights the complexity of applying the Trust Act in unpredictable emergency scenarios. Mink expressed concern that focus on the incident had shifted from firefighters’ fundamental duty to protect lives to debate over immigration policy.
“I really don’t want the headline on this to be fire rescue broke the Trust Act,” Mink said. “What this scenario showed is that it’s going to be very hard to predict what type of circumstances we’re going to be faced with.”
The Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 1664, sent correspondence to County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Kate Stewart criticizing the response characterization and arguing that focus should remain on first responders’ life-protection mission rather than immigration policy debates.
County officials have maintained that firefighting and emergency medical services personnel remain focused on their primary mission of protecting lives during emergencies regardless of circumstances surrounding an incident.
Mink clarified that her comments were directed toward county leadership rather than first responders, urging elected officials to consider how the Trust Act could affect law enforcement operations in other scenarios.