In the Montgomery County Council Building on Tuesday, Jan. 13, strong anti-I.C.E. sentiment cultivated in a large-scale public hearing of the Trust Act, a measure proposed, with eventual unanimous support, by Councilmember Natalie Fani-Gonzalez. It is a landmark proposal that reaffirms the county’s commitment to protect immigrant rights by prohibiting County employees from requesting or investigating a person’s immigration status unless required by law, barring intimidation and discrimination based on perceived status and guaranteeing that all County services are not denied based on immigration status except as required by law.
What unfolded that evening was more than a routine policy discussion. The hearing was a striking and powerful display of youth advocacy, community organization and testimonies that were deeply personal. Students and adults alike stepped forward to describe to lawmakers how immigration policy has impacted their lives and the lives of those around them.
Before testimonies began, the council chamber filled with Montgomery County residents, organizers and students with signs. Supporters of the bill described the atmosphere as one full of energy and emotion, reflecting the weight of the recent immigration debate. Jariane Martinez Mapp, a junior at Seneca Valley High School involved with her school’s student FAIR (Students for Asylum and Immigration Rights) chapter, said the scale of the attendance was immediately shocking. “The turnout was amazing,” she said. “I was speaking to one of the legislators and they said that this is one of the biggest crowds they had in support of a bill, which was amazing to hear.” Martinez-Mapp estimated that there were one to two hundred people in attendance in the chamber, including immigrants-rights organizations, longtime community advocates and students.
Ella Wan, a freshman at Richard Montgomery High School and founder of her school’s Student FAIR Chapter, described the event as both very crowded and heartwarming. “The room was packed,” Wan said. “There were a bunch of people from different organizations…it was truly inspiring to see.” She recalled the attendees being very collaborative and lending each other signs. “It was really heartwarming,” she added. “It really cemented what I thought of our county and how they are treating immigrants.”
For many young speakers, the Trust Act wasn’t just a policy change but also a pathway for student voices to continue influencing county-level legislation. Martinez-Mapp originally became involved through her school’s student FAIR chapter, but explained it wasn’t the only way to become involved on larger-scale events. “If you want to be involved in organizations and events like these, you have to look more towards the county level,” she said in reference to the hearing.
Wan’s involvement, on the other hand, followed a slightly different path. As the founder of her school’s FAIR chapter, she has organized a variety of projects including resource bulletin boards and letter-writing campaigns. She first encountered the Trust Act during a press conference in December as a part of FAIR’s countywide executive board. Wan was not surprised in the slightest that Montgomery County had introduced legislation like this. “All this does is codify what Montgomery County has already been doing to protect immigrant students,” Wan said. “This doesn’t really change anything, it just puts it into law.”
The two students’ participation in their communities reflects a broader shift within local student activism. We now see students increasingly stepping beyond school-based initiatives and into formal government spaces. Rather than simply observing policy and reflecting on it, we now see students shaping conversation through firsthand testimony.
When Martinez-Mapp gave her testimony in favor of the Trust Act, she chose to focus on the issue of dismantling stereotypes common against immigrants, pulling in personal experience to solidify her point. “My argument was really focused on how immigrants are an integral part of society,” Martinez-Mapp said. “A lot of people think that immigrants don’t pay taxes so they don’t deserve the same protections and the same respect and dignity that other people within Montgomery County receive.”
According to Martinez-Mapp, immigrants are often seen as criminals or even animals for greatly no reason at all. “I used my mom as an example,” she explained. “She’s an immigrant and she moved all the way from the Dominican Republic here to provide us with a better life and that’s something we see among a lot of immigrants.” By sharing a personal story, Martinez-Mapp hoped to humanize the policy debate in a world where immigrants are often reduced to a statistic.
Wan’s testimony was centered more on safety within schools and the emotional realities a lot of immigrant or mixed-status students often face. “Students should be able to go to school feeling safe and not fearing that when they get home, they won’t see their parents or that they won’t get home at all.” Wan said. She argued that codifying existing protections would help assure families that local practices could not be easily reversed. Wan referenced recent incidents involving immigration enforcement, noting that even elected officials have faced barriers in documenting detentions.
Despite differences in personal experiences and perspectives, both consider testifying to have been a transformative experience. “Oftentimes, students feel powerless and voiceless,” Martinez-Mapp said. “It made me feel powerful to speak out.” Being able to testify beside peers, which included students affected by ICE’s activities, reinforced beliefs that youth voices matter. “It was really powerful to see and it was a beautiful thing.” she added.
The scale of participation at the Trust Act Hearing suggests a broader shift in how Montgomery County residents interact with local government. Students, who often are perceived more as observers rather than the ones making the decisions, have played a very visible role in shaping policy conversation, demonstrating the importance of youth activism and its growth from the classroom into policy arenas. For Martinez-Mapp, it was also significant as it felt like a moment in which she felt truly represented. “It felt like one of those times where as a constituent, I felt connected to our elected officials,” she said, describing the event as one that was refreshing considering the country’s harsh political climate.
Wan believes that the momentum of the hearing will extend past the single piece of legislation, noting that the strong turnout has helped push forward new pieces of legislation, signaling the impact of community engagement in future policy discussion. “I don’t want to take credit for anything,” she said, “but I hope we inspired a lot of people to speak up as well.”
As Montgomery County moves towards implementing the Trust Act, students like Martinez-Mapp and Wan continue to organize within their schools, encouraging students to join advocacy groups and stay informed about local policy changes. Wan hopes that every high school in Montgomery County will have a FAIR chapter soon, expanding the opportunities for students to engage with issues that affect their communities.
The hearing in January ultimately became more than a legislative milestone, but was instead a moment where student voices, stories and policy joined. Through a mix of action collectively and student narratives, young student advocates transformed a simple public hearing into a powerful reflection on Montgomery County’s identity and priorities.
Written by Gabriela Ugaz
Photo Courtesy of Montgomery County Council