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ROCKVILLE, Md., April 28, 2026—Today, the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed the Unmask ICE Act (Bill 5-26), sponsored by Councilmember Will Jawando (At-Large) and cosponsored by Councilmembers Kristin Mink (District 5), Kate Stewart (District 4), Shebra Evans (At-Large), Laurie-Anne Sayles (At-Large) and Evan Glass (At-Large).
The Unmask ICE Act prohibits federal, state and local law enforcement officers from wearing masks or facial coverings while on duty in Montgomery County, with limited exceptions. The bill was amended to be consistent with and complementary to legislation that the state legislature recently passed on this topic, which will be effective Oct. 1, 2026 once law, including to incorporate an identification requirement, to create a complaint process allowing a law enforcement officer or a member of the public to report an alleged violation through an online portal, to sunset the county bill when the uniform policy required by the state legislation is eventually implemented, and to expedite the bill.
“I am proud of Montgomery County for continuing to live our values. We can and must do what we can locally to build in safeguards to protect residents from the violence and dehumanizing actions of federal immigration enforcement under the Trump Administration. I hope that Montgomery County’s leadership will provide a model for the eventual state-wide uniform masking and identification policy,” said Councilmember Jawando. “Thank you to all of my Council colleagues, to the Executive Branch, including our local law enforcement, and to our state legislative partners. And thank you to our residents who have pushed for legislation like this.”
"When residents see masked ICE agents terrorizing our community, they need to be clear that in Montgomery County, those agents are breaking our laws, and we will work to hold them accountable," said Councilmember Mink. "The Unmask ICE Act will ensure that our residents do not have to wait months or years for the development of a statewide policy. I'm grateful to Councilmember Jawando for leading this effort, and to my colleagues on the Council for supporting it."
“I’m proud of the work that took place by the Council’s Public Safety Committee on the Unmask ICE Act. I believe this measure delivers the transparency our public safety systems urgently need. Requiring officers to be identifiable, with limited exceptions, strengthens accountability, reduces fear, and ensures residents can trust law enforcement and seek recourse if their rights are violated. Let’s continue moving forward together,” stated Council President Natali Fani-González.
We Are CASA Executive Director George Escobar said, “For too long, ICE has relied on masked, unidentified agents to carry out enforcement actions that terrorize our immigrant families and erode public trust—this is unacceptable. This bill makes clear that no one should be allowed to hide behind a mask while wielding the power to detain and deport our neighbors. We are grateful to Councilmember Will Jawando and the Council for taking a stand against fear and intimidation and for helping safeguard our communities.”
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