ROCKVILLE, MD – Hundreds of demonstrators organized outside the Montgomery County Council building in Rockville, Maryland on Friday morning to respond to a string of rape cases involving at least seven undocumented immigrants in one month, following an executive order by County Executive Marc Elrich that stops any collaboration between federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the Montgomery County Police Department.

Last month, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich ordered the county's agencies not to cooperate with ICE—and protect criminals instead.

Since July 25, 7 illegal aliens protected by the "sanctuary" county have been arrested for rape and sexual assaults. https://t.co/HuFyJqXVdn

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 4, 2019

Last Friday, Elrich and the county council incited more frustration by vocal opponents to the county’s immigration policies when they released a statement calling critics “xenophobic” and likening them to “neo-Nazi sympathizers.”

“There has been a lot of inaccurate information spread by the White House, President Trump, Acting USCIS Director Ken Cuccinelli, local and national conservative news outlets and neo-Nazi sympathizers regarding our criminal justice system and its process,” a statement said. “These individuals and organizations should be ashamed for spreading false information seeking to establish a baseless, illogical and xenophobic connection between a person’s failure to obtain legal status and their propensity to commit a sex crime.”

In a statement released Monday, Elrich said, “To clarify our policy, I met with ICE officials today at the Executive Office Building. While the meeting was generally introductory, I believe that the conversation was productive; and more discussions will follow. I continue to appreciate that Montgomery County is one of the safest and most inclusive places in the Washington Metropolitan Area and the rest of the United States.”

In July, Elririch had likened ICE’s work to terrorism: “It’s really partly the definition of terrorism, to take the civilian population and subject them to constant fear, that is terrorism in its basic form.”

(LINK: TIMELINE: A history of Montgomery County’s sanctuary policies.)

Montgomery County Stands with Immigrants began their rally at 10:30 Friday morning across the street from the county executive building. Concerned Citizens Coalition of Montgomery County and Help Save Maryland #StandwithICE rally gathered at the steps of the county council building at 11 AM.

The police created a divider in the middle of the street to separate the rally on the steps and the counter protest across the street. When radio host Larry O’Connor thanked the police at the beginning of the dueling rallies, the counter protest across the street booed the police. The pro-ICE rally was more than twice the size of the pro-illegal immigration demonstrators. Montgomery County Councilmember At-Large Will Jawando and Evan Glass were among the speakers at the counter protest.

“We’re not a sanctuary city, folks,” county executive Elrich insisted to WMAL reporter Heather Curtis after the immigration rallies.

“All you see is the immigration rapes. There are, there were 500 something rape cases last year, rape and molestation cases, at least accusations, but if you look at our trend over the last three years, the number of these crimes is going down,” Elrich said.

FULL VIDEOS OF THE RALLY OUTSIDE THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL BUILDING ON FRIDAY AT 11 AM:

LINK TO MICHELLE MALKIN’S PERISCOPE VIDEO: https://www.pscp.tv/michellemalkin/1RDxlNjrMdDGL?t=1h9m55s

VIDEOS AND PICTURES: Here are the highlights of the rally in Montgomery County:

Watch: @michellemalkin’s passionate speech outside the @MoCoCouncilMD building during the #StandWithICE rally (Malkin at 36 mins in) & (also in pic: @JudicialWatch’s @TomFitton 17 mins in) — video: https://t.co/faI6048s8Z pic.twitter.com/56ISEMZ9qX

— WMAL DC (@WMALDC) September 13, 2019

Massive turnout in Rockville to support the end of sanctuary policies. Maybe re of us than them. More pics coming. pic.twitter.com/Pz8ggZWT17

— Help Save Maryland (@helpsavemd) September 13, 2019

Today, in Montgomery County, MD, a silent, grassroots movement against dangerous sanctuary policies erupted in a defiant roar. #StandWithICE@michellemalkin @TomFitton @SebGorka @VinceCoglianese @helpsavemd pic.twitter.com/y1zzjEVnRR

— Larry O'Connor (@LarryOConnor) September 13, 2019

WATCH: @michellemalkin was on fire at the #standwithice #rockvillerally outside @MoCoCouncilMD #moco #mocoloco @Marc_Elrich @helpsavemd @LarryOConnor (marker 1:23:12 in): https://t.co/PRiYTBigO7 pic.twitter.com/EEfNrJuzr9

— WMAL DC (@WMALDC) September 13, 2019

Best part of the ICE rally was @michellemalkin yelling at @MontgomeryCoMD Executive @Marc_Elrich, who wouldn't even turn around to face her, or any of his citizens calling him out pic.twitter.com/fFdaq623Y2

— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) September 13, 2019

Full @michellemalkin speech https://t.co/CgG8pxvd7O

— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) September 13, 2019

Kudos to @michellemalkin attending this rally, as she used to live in Montgomery County herself, but had to travel to attend today's rally. https://t.co/2p8Th8TMZP

— USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli (@USCISCuccinelli) September 13, 2019

So grateful for @TomFitton & @JudicialWatch for all they do on the frontlines to protect American sovereignty and the rule of law! #EndSanctuary #RockvilleRally pic.twitter.com/FtoH8DkTi7

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) September 13, 2019

So many great highlights from today’s LAW & ORDER rally @MoCoCouncilMD bldg

We ❤️immigrants & want ALL residents 2bsafe
Is it too much to ask: No more rapes of 11yr old hispanic girls!!

TY @LarryOConnor @WMALDC @TomFitton @SebGorka @michellemalkin was ON FIRE (per usual) pic.twitter.com/lo099gHf2T

— PR (@pr20906) September 13, 2019

Here are pictures from the counter protest to the Concerned Citizens Coalition of Montgomery County & @helpsavemd #StandwithICE rally outside the @MoCoCouncilMD building today: https://t.co/6HmtkYdzsf

— WMAL DC (@WMALDC) September 13, 2019

Here is a video of the counter protest to the Concerned Citizens Coalition of Montgomery County & @helpsavemd's #StandwithICE rally outside the @MoCoCouncilMD building today: https://t.co/8ptaRqy1qF

— WMAL DC (@WMALDC) September 13, 2019

Video of the counter protest outside the #standwithice rally today in Montgomery County: https://t.co/i1jKl69ZZO

— WMAL DC (@WMALDC) September 13, 2019

On Friday morning, “Open Borders Inc” author Michelle Malkin joined WMAL to discuss how she has seen the impact of illegal immigration on Montgomery County over the years as a former resident of the county and why she is attending the “Stand with ICE” rally in Rockville.

Part 1/2:

Part 2/2:

On August 28th, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich defended his county’s policies on WMAL’s morning show.

“What you call ‘sanctuary’ but what we prefer to think of is a more welcoming policy toward immigrants,” Elrich said.

On WMAL, Ken Cuccinelli, Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), offered to debate Elrich about his immigration policy.

In early September, WMAL’s “Mornings on the Mall” co-host show host Vince Coglianese appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” to explain how illegal immigrant crime was impacting Montgomery County:

"The majority of these cases…sexual rape or abuse of a minor, these are children being hurt in almost all of these cases." — @VinceCoglianese on the growing problems of illegal immigrant crime happening right outside the nation's capital. pic.twitter.com/wHWU3Sw5DV

— ForAmerica (@ForAmerica) September 4, 2019