TOWSON — In a vote along party lines, the Baltimore County Council voted 4-3 Monday night on two bills protecting non-citizens from discrimination and officially creating a county office of immigrant affairs.
Together, the two bills are called The Trust Act. Councilman Izzy Patoka, who introduced them to the council in December, spoke in favor of the legislation at Monday night's council meeting.
"People are afraid to send their children to school. People are afraid to go to their place of worship. People are afraid to even go to work. People are afraid to assemble. Imagine that in this country, you're afraid to assemble. Does that sound like this country? Not to me," Patoka said.
The three Republican council members did not testify before casting their 'no' votes.
County Executive Kathy Klausmeier will sign the legislation when it reaches her desk. Her spokesperson, Dakarai Turner, said the bill continues practices already in place in county government.
"Baltimore County does not enforce immigration law or ask about immigration or citizenship status unless required by state or federal law," Turner wrote in an email to WMAR. "Baltimore County will continue to follow all state and federal laws, and we remain firmly committed to treating every resident with dignity, compassion, and fairness."
The first bill codifies the Office of Immigrant Affairs, which will coordinate services for the county's immigrant population and serve as a liaison between immigrant communities and the county government.
The legislation prohibits county employees from enforcing federal immigration laws or assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with immigration-related investigations and arrests. County workers cannot ask about immigration status except when screening for benefits, voter registration, or hiring police officers.
Police can still investigate crimes and work with federal task forces, but must withdraw if they believe the task force is being used as a "pretext for immigration enforcement."
All departments must develop compliance policies within 120 days and report annually on immigration agency requests.
This story was edited with the assistance of AI. A journalist reviewed all content for accuracy and context.
