Key Points on the bill:
- Restricts the approval of using or constructing a building as an immigration detention facility unless the building is specifically zoned for that exact purpose.
- Gives the court the ability to issue injunctions to stop this from happening and the Office of the Attorney General the right to sue to enforce the law.
- The penalty for violation of the law is up to $10,000 per day that an entity is in violation.
- Applies retroactively to agreements made between the State or local governments and a private entity.
- Baltimore County voted to ban ICE detention centers earlier this month and Attorney General Brown sued the federal government over a Hagerstown ICE detention center.
How'd they vote?
Here's a look at the party breakdown:
One Republican, Delegate Stuart Schmidt of Anne Arundel County, voted in favor of the bill. Here's a closer look at each delegate's vote:
Among the organizations and politicians that testified in favor of the bill were:
- Howard County Executive Calvin Ball
- CASA
- SURJ
- Showing Up for Racial Justice Baltimore
- Capital Area Immigrants' Rights (CAIR) Coalition
- Indivisible Howard County
- Maryland Legislative Coalition
No organizations testified against the bill, but two individuals registered as unfavorable.