Community pushes back against ICE detention center plan in Howard County, Maryland
The Howard County Council will vote Thursday on emergency legislation that would prevent privately-owned buildings from becoming detention centers in the Maryland county.
One bill, CB-16, would amend a code to no longer allow private companies to apply for and hold a permit for jails, prisons, detention centers, or anything alike. The other bill, CB-17, would set strict guidance on how county agencies interact with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The bills were met with staunch support from hundreds of residents who testified at a council hearing Wednesday.
"We will not participate in the dehumanization of immigrants," Howard County resident Claudia Allen said. "We will not allow our county to become a site where people are held in cages for profit. We will not turn our backs on the most vulnerable among us. I urge you to pass CB-16 2026 swiftly and decisively, stand with immigrant families, stand with communities of faith, stand on the right side of history."
Both bills are expected to pass with support from all five council members. However, there's a possibility some of the wording of the legislation could change.
Detention facility proposal blocked
The thought of a detention center operating in a Howard County community drew emotional moments and impassioned pleas on Wednesday night.
On Monday, after concluding that ICE was attempting to use a facility on Meadowridge Road in Elkridge for a detaining center, obtained through a private company permit, just a mile away from an elementary school, Howard County Executive Ball revoked the permit.
"These types of transactions can't happen under anyone's noses," said Howard County councilmember Opel Jones. "It needs to happen out in the forefront. We need to notice it to the public, give it time and be able to say yay or nay. We would like this or not."
Those who spoke during Wednesday's public hearing said these kinds of facilities do not belong in the community.
"For these reasons, I respectfully urge the council to adopt CB 16," a resident said. "Doing so will protect public trust, community well-being, and the values that make Howard County the place so many of us are proud to call home."
