Dear Valued Community,
Earlier this year, I shared my concern about how federal worker layoffs were disrupting families in our area. Sadly, today I feel compelled to write again – this time about another crisis hurting the very people who make our communities strong.
In our region, the construction workforce – and much of our broader economy – is sustained by immigrants, many from Central and South America. In my experience, these men and women are among the hardest working people you’ll ever meet. They are parents, neighbors, and community members who want the same thing we all do: to build a safe and meaningful life for their families. Their children sit in classrooms beside ours. Their families share a church pew with ours on Sunday mornings. Their skills bring life, energy, and craftsmanship to our neighborhoods. They keep our roads clear, collect our trash, prepare our food, care for us in hospitals, and welcome us in restaurants and hotels. Their contributions are woven into every part of our daily lives.
And yet, right now, this community is living in fear. Road checkpoints have popped up along New Hampshire Avenue, Connecticut Avenue, Randolph Road, and other corridors where so many of us travel every day. Recently, a former Merrick team member – a legal resident – was detained by authorities based solely on the color of his skin. He was able to prove his legal status and was released later that day, but that does not erase what happened. He was racially profiled. He was terrified. Both are inexcusable. His family and our team were left shaken and waiting for answers. Other crews had already told me they do not want to work in D.C., and now some are even afraid to leave their homes.
This is not just cruel – it is shortsighted. We already face a labor shortage in construction. Targeting hardworking immigrants doesn’t just harm them, it harms all of us. It disrupts families, paralyzes local businesses, and fractures the trust and sense of belonging that hold our community together.
How is any of this okay? How does this reflect the values we say we stand for?
I believe we are better than this. I believe we can choose compassion over fear, fairness over prejudice, and community over division. These are our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends. They deserve the same dignity and security we want for our own families.
If you feel the same, I encourage you to speak up. Write to your representatives. Support organizations that protect immigrant rights. You can send a message to Governor Wes Moore and to our federal representatives for Montgomery County and the state of Maryland here. (We’ve included a template letter below you can use.) And join me and many others at the upcoming No Kings Day protest – a chance for us to stand together and show that our community will not be silenced.
Sincerely,
Addie Merrick
To Contact Governor Wes Moore, State of Maryland:
Contact page / form: Contact Us – Office of Governor Wes Moore Maryland Governor’s Office
Phone: (410) 974-3901 or toll-free 1-800-811-8336
Address: 100 State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401
To Contact: U.S. House Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-8th District)
Web site/contact page: Representative Jamie Raskin
Office address: 2242 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5341
Dear [Governor Moore / Senator / Representative],
I am writing as a Maryland resident deeply concerned about the recent targeting of immigrant workers in our community. Immigrants from Central and South America are the backbone of our local workforce, especially in construction, food service, health care, hospitality, and other essential industries. They are our neighbors, our friends, and our fellow parishioners. Their children sit beside ours in school, and their families share our church pews.
Yet many of these hardworking families are living in fear. Road checkpoints and immigration sweeps in Montgomery County have already caused legal residents and their families to be detained without explanation. I recently learned of a legal resident – an employee in our community – who was taken based solely on the color of his skin. This is unacceptable.
Immigrant workers strengthen our economy, pay taxes, and enrich our community. Maryland cannot afford to lose them, and we must not allow fear and discrimination to replace fairness and compassion. I urge you to:
- Speak out publicly against discriminatory enforcement actions in our communities.
- Work with state and federal agencies to ensure that legal residents are protected and families are not torn apart.
- Support legislation and policies that protect immigrant rights and uphold Maryland’s values of fairness, dignity, and inclusion.
Please use your office to ensure that Maryland remains a place where families can live, work, and thrive without fear.
Thank you for your leadership and for standing with immigrant families.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email / Phone]
