New Baltimore Bills Aim To Restrict ICE Activity Citywide
New legislation introduced during Monday’s Baltimore City Council meeting could significantly limit how the city cooperates with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, marking the latest move in Maryland aimed at curbing federal immigration enforcement at the local level.
Baltimore joins a growing list of jurisdictions across the state proposing measures designed to restrict ICE activity and reduce fear within immigrant communities. City leaders say the goal is to preserve public safety while maintaining trust between residents and local government agencies.
CBS Baltimore reports that the first bill would require city departments to develop formal plans to protect public and private spaces by limiting ICE presence. It would also prohibit the use of city funds, personnel, or resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement unless legally required.
A second bill urges Maryland lawmakers to pass statewide legislation banning 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement agencies to partner with ICE. That proposal would also seek to prohibit federal immigration officers from wearing masks while conducting enforcement operations, a practice critics say fuels fear and confusion during arrests.
The legislation is sponsored by Councilmembers Odette Ramos, Paris Gray, and Mark Parker, with support from several additional council members.
Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen voiced strong support for the measures, warning that aggressive immigration enforcement can undermine public safety.
“Over aggressive ICE tactics make our city more dangerous at a time when Baltimore is making extraordinary gains in reducing violence,” Cohen said. “The brutality of ICE agents threatens to shatter trust in local law enforcement. People are afraid to call the police.”
New Baltimore Bills Aim To Restrict ICE Activity Citywide was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com
