Three people fled a federal vehicle stop on Clara Barton Parkway on Wednesday, sending Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service swift-water boats into the Potomac River for a hours-long search. Three days later, crowds gathered at vigils across the region to protest ICE enforcement in their communities.
U.S. Park Police said officers were conducting a commercial vehicle stop when three people exited and ran. Park Police identified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the arresting agency but did not clarify whether the stop was initiated at ICE's request. MCFRS crews launched swift-water boats from the Lock 10 area. Two of the three people were taken into custody.
Trust Act questions
The rescue raised a pointed policy question. Montgomery County Council member Kristin Mink, who represents District 5, said the MCFRS boat launch may have violated the county's Trust Act, which prohibits county personnel from voluntarily cooperating with ICE. Mink said she does not blame the firefighters, who faced contradictory rules in a fast-moving situation, and said the council needs to work through such scenarios.
County Executive Marc Elrich criticized the operation but acknowledged the county's limited power. "We've tried to be careful to not mislead people into thinking that we've got the ability to protect them from ICE, because we don't," Elrich said after the July 22 incident.
Vigils across the region
On Saturday, vigils in Hyattsville, Maryland, and Centreville, Virginia, honored people killed during ICE encounters this month in Texas and Maine. Organizers also cited the Clara Barton Parkway operation and a separate pursuit in Sterling, Virginia, in which a pickup truck crashed into a home.
In Hyattsville, supporters lined the Route 1 corridor as drivers honked their horns. Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland attended. Laura Usher of Indivisible Route 1 Corridor spoke at the gathering.
In Centreville, Julio Hernandez, director of the Congregation Action Network, organized the vigil with three other groups, including faith-based organizations. Hernandez told NBC4 Washington he had also held a private vigil for community members affected by ICE activity.
"We're here to tell the story of our community being terrorized and torn apart, families being separated, children living in fear," Hernandez said at the Saturday event.
Bystanders had gathered spontaneously on a Beltway overpass during the July 22 search, holding signs warning drivers about ICE activity on the parkway.
County resources
Montgomery County launched an ICE activity reporting portal on July 9 at montgomerycountymd.gov/protecting, where residents can share information about ICE activity. The Trust Act, the County Values Act, and the Unmask ICE Act together prohibit county employees from voluntarily cooperating with ICE and ban officers from wearing masks while on duty.
ICE had not commented publicly on the Saturday vigils as of that evening.
