ROCKVILLE, Md. — Montgomery County leaders are considering a significant change to the enforcement of the county’s new gas-powered leaf blower ban, citing fears that the current policy could unfairly target workers within the immigrant community.
The ordinance, which passed in 2023 and went into effect earlier this year, bans the use and sale of gas-powered leaf blowers. Its original enforcement mechanism required concerned neighbors to snap and submit a photo of a person violating the law.
Unintended Consequences
However, Montgomery County Council members recently admitted that this photo-based enforcement could have unintended negative consequences. Given that a significant number of landscaping companies in the county either employ immigrant labor or have Latino workers, leaders are worried that submitted photos could be exploited by third parties, including immigration enforcement agencies, to target workers.
To address this concern, the Council is now considering an amendment to the law’s enforcement procedures. The proposed change would require a minimum of two witnesses to report an infraction, rather than a single photo submission…