Letter says Howard County councilwoman's social media post endangered police officers

A Howard County councilwoman is being accused of putting police officers in danger.

Liz Walsh, who represents District 1, posted on Facebook last week about possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer activity in Columbia, Maryland.

Howard County Police later revealed it was doing an undercover operation in the area.

The president of Howard County Fraternal Order of Police has since sent a letter to Walsh, asking her to take the post down and to reaffirm her support for police, saying her actions compromised the undercover officers.

Walsh said ICE remains the real risk for her, especially since ICE arrested someone in Columbia over the weekend.

She and another councilwoman say moving forward, working with police will be critical to knowing ICE's impact on the county.

A back and forth

When asked about what she posted on Jan. 21, Walsh said it was something she and her team thought the community needed to know.

"We're hearing that there is an ICE operation happening in Howard County by the Verona Apartments in Oakland Mills, behind the village center," Walsh wrote on Facebook. "They expect a bus from Thunder Hill Elementary School to be the target."

A little more than an hour after Walsh's post, Howard County Police posted on Facebook that it wasn't aware of any ICE-related activity in the county.

Then on Thursday, police posted details of a three-day operation targeting online child predators at homes in the same area Walsh mentioned in her post.

FOP president Jamie Flynn sent Walsh a letter on Monday asking to take her post down, to acknowledge the risk she put those officers in, and asking her to publicly state her support for police.

"Your decision to post unverified information interfered with an active undercover investigation," part of Flynn's letter reads.

Walsh appeared undeterred by the letter on Wednesday.

"The real risk, the real danger in my mind...is ICE. ICE targeting the people who live here, their safety is foremost," she said.

ICE in Howard County

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed it had arrested a man in Columbia over the weekend.

Police posted on Facebook that officers responded to an area around Route 175 and Tamar Drive Saturday morning for a report that someone had been removed from a vehicle and taken.

The post went on to say this is the police's first known ICE activity.

DHS identified that person as David Genaro Aguirre Aguirre, saying he's originally from El Salvador.

"He has been issued a notice to appear before a judge and will receive full due process," a DHS spokesperson said.

Walsh said she wants to work more with police, as well as Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, to keep the community informed.

"We're gonna keep learning, talk to a lot of the advocacy groups, hopefully begin to partner with local law enforcement to actually do what I think we all want us all to do, which is protect and serve the people who live here," Walsh said.

Councilwoman Deb Jung also put out a letter this week, sharing her concern about local ICE activity and also encouraging people to report suspected activity to police.

Jung pointed to the fact police only knew what happened to Aguirre because of witnesses.

"I encourage anybody who witnesses something like this to make reports so we can determine how much ICE activity is taking place in Howard County and where it's taking place," Jung said.

Howard County Police Chief Gregory Der stated that he hopes county leaders reach out to confirm information with his department before sharing anything.

"When we did have confirmed ICE activity in Columbia a few day [after Walsh's post], I personally called Ms. Walsh and her fellow council members," Der said. "In order for communication to be effective, it must work both ways."

Howard County law bars police from coordinating with ICE.