More than 80 percent of Montgomery County funding for immigrant advocacy group CASA of Maryland is awarded through grants, noncompetitive contracts or direct handouts at the request of the organization, according to county financial documents obtained by The Examiner.
CASA receives roughly $2.35 million in taxpayer money under the current county budget, a sore spot for anti-illegal-immigration group leaders who object to any taxpayer funds being used to benefit people who may be illegal immigrants. Elected officials from County Executive Ike Leggett to U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin have supported the organization, saying CASA provides much-needed services to the community.
The group uses the money to fund projects including its controversial centers for day laborers, health care services, adult English classes, tenant rights counseling and job training for immigrants. County leaders say CASA’s efforts have largely been a success, and point to reports that detail increasing numbers of employers seeking workers through the centers, a growing presence of female day laborers and the group’s efforts to provide translation services for people in need of health care.
“Since [the Derwood day labor center] opened in April, the numbers of both employers and day laborers have been increasing,” county spokesman Patrick Lacefield said. “Since that time there have been no complaints and no incidents involving day laborers in the surrounding community. I think that is due in part to the fact that we’ve worked closely with CASA to make this a success and I think it has been.”
Anti-illegal-immigration group leaders contest those statements.
“There are blatant lies in these CASA reports,” said Brad Botwin, leader of the anti-illegal-immigration group Help Save Maryland. “This thing is a politically wrapped piece of paper the county hands out without checking the numbers.”
Montgomery officials say the county’s contracts with CASA are subject to the same level of scrutiny as any other county contract, and they have no reason to suspect the reports are anything but accurate.
CASA has been present in the county for roughly 20 years, and has grown from a grassroots group into a massive organization with locations throughout Montgomery. It has access to political leaders and potential funds on the county, state and federal level.
In addition to county funding, the state gave CASA a $1.2 million tax credit to turn the deteriorating but historic McCormick-Goodhart Mansion into a regional headquarters and multicultural center.
According to Lacefield, CASA has become a force in some situations, because there aren’t other groups that can offer the specific services it does, but that as the county’s Latino population grows, more service groups will emerge.
