MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — A proposed Montgomery County bill that would restrict the hiring of some former federal immigration enforcement employees is raising questions about public trust, employment law and the balance of power between local and federal governments.
During an interview on 7News, anchor Megan Clarke spoke with Cori Alonso-Yoder, assistant professor of law and director of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, about the proposed Community Trust and County Employees Act.
The legislation would limit the county's ability to hire certain individuals who previously worked for federal immigration agencies during a specified period, a proposal supporters say is intended to strengthen trust between immigrant communities and local government.
Alonso-Yoder said the proposal reflects a broader trend of state and local governments responding to expanded federal immigration enforcement efforts.
"I really see this as an ongoing trend as state and local officials are attempting to use their resources to protect communities against a lot of the enforcement that's coming from immigration," she said.
She said the proposal is part of a larger debate over the respective powers of federal, state and local governments when immigration policy becomes a point of conflict.
Alonso-Yoder said the hiring restrictions present relatively untested legal questions because employment discrimination laws generally focus on protected...
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