Remarks for June 19 Rockville City Council Meeting

Terri Parkinson
Speaking on behalf of Do the Most Good Montgomery County
Good evening Mayor Newton, members of the council and community members.
Thanks to all of you for this opportunity to speak in support of the Rockville
Fostering Community Trust Amendment.
The arguments for this amendment have been eloquently defended at past
community forums, as well as this evening. Hence, I am not going to repeat the
benefits of this Trust ordinance to the community. This ordinance IS compliant
with Federal law, protecting the city from infringement of its 10th Amendment
rights, while protecting the 4th 5th and 14th amendment rights of our immigrant
community. It also protects the rights of those employed or seeking employment
with the city by proscribing any labor practices that are the purview of the federal
government to enforce.
The labor and policing standards listed in the amendment are already de facto
policies in the city of Rockville. Many would assert that this precludes any need to
formalize them. However, there are number of reasons to do so.
The first of those reasons is that of de facto status itself. According to the
website for US Legal, de facto law results from social, psychological or economic
conditions. All of these are mutable, dependent on the composition of governing
bodies and agencies, which are subject to the will of the electorate, as well as
workforce turnover. By passing this amendment you are ensuring that Rockvilles
policies toward its immigrant community are predictable, enforceable and
supportive of the US Constitution, regardless of the composition of the city
council or government agencies.
The second reason for making this policy de jure, or lawful, is to hold
accountable those in city government who would base hiring or employment
status on immigration status, or who might threaten an individual because of
suspected or real immigration status. It would protect consumers of city services
from discrimination based on immigration status. By formalizing these policies,
the city also provides recourse for members of both immigrant and non-
immigrant communities. Under a de facto policy they have little to none.
While we believe that more than a majority of Rockville residents support this
amendment, as well as the current de facto policy, we are aware that there is a
segment of this community who would offer questionable data to support the
elimination of immigrants from our community. They base their argument against
this amendment on the faulty premise that the ordinance encourages lawlessness
and defies federal law. Anyone who looks at FBI, ICE and Census statistics, or
reads the US Constitution, knows this is not the case.
There is a Latin phrase attributed to the poet Horace that translates roughly:
laws without morals or customs are vain or useless. The law that we are asking
you to vote YES on tonight is one that reflects Rockvilles values of diversity and
social justice, and its custom of fostering trust and respect in its government
officials. It is neither a vain nor a useless law.
Thank you.