Baltimore County Council passes 2 bills to increase protections for immigrant communities

The Baltimore County Council passed two bills Monday evening to increase protections for immigrant communities. 

The first will establish an Office of Immigrant Affairs. The other bill will limit county employees and agencies, including police, from helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with immigration enforcement.

Before both bills become law in the county, they will need to be approved by the county executive.

Establishing an Office of Immigrant Affairs 

If an Office of Immigrant Affairs is created, it would be required to submit yearly reports to the council and the county executive. 

The office would be tasked with advising the council on ways to improve resources for immigrants and how to coordinate county and state policies. 

It would also compile information about the needs of immigrant communities as well as advocate for policy changes and equitable access to government services. 

Protections for non-U.S. citizens 

The second bill establishes several policies and rules that prevent county employees from working with ICE. However, the measures would not apply if state or federal laws dictate otherwise. 

The bill will not prevent county police from assisting federal agents with arrests or criminal activity other than immigration violations. 

Under the bill, county employees would not be allowed to help ICE with collecting or distributing information about a person's immigration status. 

Employees and agencies would be prohibited from asking about a person's citizenship, nationality or immigration status unless the person is applying for a passport, voter registration or to become a sworn officer. 

Provisions of the bill could be changed to comply with updated state or federal laws. 

If the bill becomes law, all county departments would be required to develop policies and make them publicly available within 120 days.