Welcoming policies are a tool for community empowerment. It is time for Montco to formally adopt them.

When President Donald Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts began, the commissioners in Montgomery County vowed to fight for our most at-risk neighbors by creating a special task force and the county’s first Office of Immigrant Affairs. While these are important actions, immigrant communities identified immediately that the county could do more to protect their rights.

People started to advocate for a “welcoming” county policy to prevent the use of county staff and resources to collaborate with immigration enforcement, joining forces with local groups such as Unides Para Servir Norristown and the Woori Center, and regional groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition, CAIR Pennsylvania, Community for Change, PA Youth Vote, Women Rise PA, various Indivisible chapters, and others.

More than 11% of Montgomery County residents — approximately 94,000 people — were born in another country. These people are our neighbors, teachers, healthcare workers, public servants, and small-business owners. They are an integral part of the social and economic fabric of our community. They expand our labor force, contribute to tax revenues, and increase consumer demand — boosting our local economy in measurable ways.

Unfortunately, the harmful and abusive tactics of recent federal immigration raids in Norristown, Conshohocken, King of Prussia, Pottstown, Ambler, Lansdale, West Norriton, and neighboring counties have created fear and uncertainty among immigrant communities. This is not only unjust but also undermines public trust and the strength of our local community.

Resistance at the local level is about safety, justice, and protecting the people who make our communities whole. And every single one of us on the local level must play a part to push back on the abuse of our neighbors and this attack on our democracy.

The power of the people has already created change.

Montgomery County Correctional Facility will no longer honor detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers without valid judicial warrants. Commissioners now have an internal policy to bar county employees from honoring requests and sharing citizens’ details with ICE without a judicial warrant.

These are victories won by the people. They are important steps toward creating a safer community in Montgomery County. But we can do more.

The county commissioners have the opportunity to take the lead in setting a new standard for advocacy at the local level in Pennsylvania.

The existing statements and policies have been issued piecemeal and are not posted publicly in any transparent way to the community, leaving them hidden from public view and vulnerable to changes without community input. This undermines local democratic principles and denies the community the opportunity to engage with their leaders directly.

And the policies don’t go as far as needed in these uncertain times.

The commissioners should issue a formal resolution at a public meeting that comprehensively prohibits all ICE collaboration by ensuring the county is not collecting or storing any personal immigration information, and by prohibiting any new contracts or agreements with ICE. A resolution would make these policies public and transparent, and ensure there is a process in place for community input on future changes.

We are calling on the commissioners to be leaders for dignity and human rights in our state; to expand the county policy and formally adopt it by resolution.

The county could also play a role in modeling community empowerment for municipal leaders. Montgomery County has 62 municipalities that need to also pass local policies barring collaboration with ICE.

Community for Change has initiated a welcoming township campaign that advocates for our local leaders to stand in solidarity with immigrant communities. A comprehensive welcoming policy resolution adopted by the county could lead the way for other elected officials navigating this new terrain by issuing the strongest possible policy in a transparent and empowering way.

It’s going to take revolutionary courage to face these threats as a community.

Yes, we celebrate the huge policy wins for our neighbors, and as we continue to stand against racism and state violence, we hope the commissioners and local municipalities will continue to stand with us in codifying the policies we know will protect us all.

Anthony Simpson is a lead organizer with Community for Change and the Lansdale Equality Coalition. Angelique Hinton is the executive director of PA Youth Vote.