By Adam Pagnucco.
Last week, I reported on a letter sent by MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor to elected officials. The letter, which referred to federal immigration activities, stated in part, “Outside individuals or organizations are not authorized to provide legal or operational advice or guidance to MCPS employees… Please do not attempt to be an agent of the school system in providing information or direction to our students or employees.”
While MCPS won’t elaborate on exactly what prompted the letter, my sources are convinced that it was sent in response to Council Member Kristin Mink’s guidance to residents about immigration rules, her training for MCPS parents on how to disrupt Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and a few other related activities. Mink is a staunch critic of ICE and was assaulted by ICE agents when she legally recorded them in a parking lot.
Bethesda Today’s Ashlyn Campbell adroitly picked up on the letter’s link to Mink in her reporting on Friday. Mink told the outlet that “she has worked with staff unions and slideshows she shared in information sessions were approved by MCPS. Also, Taylor attended one of her information sessions.” Mink further told Campbell, “If this letter is a thinly veiled reference to the work that I have been doing, then I absolutely find it inappropriate and counterproductive and disappointing.”
Mink is doing more than talking to the press. On Saturday, just one day after Campbell’s story, she released legal advice to MCPS employees holding that they “have the right to write immigration letters of support for students/families who request them.” Her Facebook post and her first slide appear below. (Note her office’s logo on the slide.)
This is exactly what Taylor asked elected officials not to do. And Mink is doing it – probably not for the last time.
Look folks, Mink doesn’t report to Taylor. She reports to the voters. And among Democratic primary voters, ICE’s approval rating is probably worse than Emperor Palpatine’s. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few other elected officials follow Mink’s lead here. Another non-surprise would be if Mink brings this up in MCPS’s upcoming operating budget discussions.
Good luck to TT in dealing with Mink’s cold shoulder on ICE!