How Howard County swiftly banned privately-owned ICE detention centers
Maryland leaders, including Gov. Wes Moore, were in attendance Friday as Howard County Executive Calvin Ball signed two emergency bills into law that ban private detention centers and limit the access that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has in the county.
The bills moved quickly through the legislative process this week after being introduced on Monday, Feb. 2.
One of the bills prohibits privately owned buildings from being turned into detention centers, and the second limits ICE's access to county agencies and facilities.
Both laws went into effect immediately, and both are being celebrated as a model in dealing with ICE.
Banning private detention centers
Before signing the law concerning private detention centers, Ball applauded the Howard County Council and the community's support.
"The story of this emergency legislation is, at its core, a story about how quickly a community can come together when its values are tested," Ball said.
The move to ban detention centers in private buildings came after a third-party company received a permit to turn a building in Elkridge into a detention center.
The county inspected the building and raised concerns after ICE purchased a warehouse in Washington County to use as a detention center.
ICE later confirmed it has no plans to buy or open a detention center in Howard County.
The county revoked the building permit, which detailed renovations to "tenant spaces, supported areas, detention facility, detainee processing and secured waiting areas," according to Ball.
"The creation of privately-owned detention facilities anywhere in our county and state raises serious concerns about health, welfare, and oversight that must be addressed," the county executive said.
The council unanimously approved the bill.
"Howard County understood the assignment," Moore said at the bill signing ceremony.
Moore also announced he sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, voicing his issues with the planned center in Washington County. He's not only asking for more details on the facility, but he said it could have a strain on local resources and services.
Moore said his administration, working with Washington County government leaders and other agencies, will review the federal purchase and the center's operations.
"We are not gonna forget we are not powerless inside of this moment and we are going to obey the law," he said. "We are just asking the federal government to do the same thing."
Limiting ICE's access in Howard County
The second emergency bill was introduced by Councilwoman Liz Walsh with the goal of limiting ICE's access to county agencies.
Under the law, guidelines would be created to dictate how county employees will let leaders know about ICE's presence in their communities. The law also declares that contracts that support immigration enforcement are void and unenforceable.
County departments will also need to set policies that limit ICE's access to some areas, as well as directing how county employees alert of ICE's presence.
The bill passed in a 4-1 vote, opposed by Councilman David Yungmann. He and councilwoman Deb Jung shared before voting Thursday that some county workers' unions have raised concerns about implementation.
When asked about those concerns on Friday, Ball said his administration has reached out to workers already.
"We want to empower and educate our employees. We want to make sure that in these challenging times, they have the information they need to navigate these troubled waters," Ball said.