Keeping Immigrant Families Together

August 1, 2019
by Valerie Hsu

AIM has been at the forefront of demanding and winning legal support for immigrants living in our county. Over a third of Montgomery County residents were born outside the U.S. Many parents have a legal pathway to stay in the United States, but are in danger of being separated from their children because they lack the legal support necessary to navigate the immigration system.

In 2018 AIM played a key role in supporting the County Council’s funding $360,000 for such services. That same spring, AIM asked each of the candidates for County Executive to increase this funding to $2 Million.

At AIM’s Action on March 14, 2019 with 500 leaders at Bethel World Outreach Church, the County Executive and County Council committed to expanding the funding to $540,000, which has been included in the 2019-2020 budget. Dozens of individuals and families will benefit from this funding, but there is still much more to do.