FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Asian American Groups Show Up In Support of Rockville Freedom City

Ordinance

Rockville, MD - A coalition of local and national organizations, including many Asian

and Pacific American affinity groups, will attend the June 19 Rockville City Council
hearing to urge the mayor and councilmembers to vote for Ordinance 11-3, Fostering
Community Trust. The proposed amendment would protect immigrant families in
Rockville by limiting the involvement of local law enforcement and city officials with
Federal immigration enforcement offers and make Rockville safer and more welcoming.

As Asian and Pacific Americans, we believe this is a critical moment in our history that
demands advocacy and solidarity with our fellow immigrants. 92 percent of Asian
Americans are immigrants or are children of immigrants. We recognize the value of
immigration, and a majority of Asian Americans support those who are
undocumented. Data from a post-election survey of Asian Americans show that 58
percent of Asian Americans believe that undocumented people deserve a pathway to
citizenship.

As a coalition of Asian and Pacific American affinity groups, we believe that every
immigrant regardless of documentation, criminal record, or family status has the
right to fair treatment by local law enforcement and city officials. We support legalization
and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and their families.

We call on our fellow Asian and Pacific Americans to join us in supporting and
advancing policies that benefit all of our fellow immigrants. Many of us are immigrants
or children of immigrants, and this is our story as well. Today, there are an estimated 1.6
million undocumented Asian immigrants in the United States, including 37,000
undocumented Asian immigrants who comprise 16% of Marylands undocumented
population.

The Fostering Community Trust ordinance is imperative for the safety and well-being
of our city and community. It is impossible to build a strong community in an
environment of fear and distrust. Police departments across the country have indicated
that increased fear due to increased immigration enforcement actions and anti-immigrant
rhetoric have led to decreases in crime reporting, including sexual assault, in immigrant
communities. This ordinance is an important first step in keeping all members of our
community, including undocumented immigrants, safe.

The organizations that compose the coalition include Asian Americans Advancing Justice
- AAJC, API Resistance, Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition, Showing Up for
Racial Justice Montgomery County, Do the Most Good Montgomery County, Rockville
Resistance, Bethesda People Power

###