BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — Restrictions on ICE went one step further in Baltimore County, with the council banning the detention center.
WATCH: Baltimore County Council votes to ban detention centers
For some people in Baltimore County, the thought of ICE in their neighborhoods has brought looming fear for months.
"I live in a community where there are many people of color. And to think that they would be here in Baltimore County, plan their activities, and then come do raids in my community with outstanding immigrants - it just makes me sick," said Baltimore County Resident Susan Radke.
Educator Lena Amick told WMAR-2 News that she's seen the concern firsthand.
"We're teachers and counselors, and we work with the immigrant communities every single day. We see children, we see parents, we see the level of anxiety that they feel," Amick said.
That anxiety rose after the federal government leased an office in Hunt Valley.
DHS would not confirm what it would be used for, but people quickly speculated it would be used for ICE enforcement.
Councilman Julian Jones said that's unacceptable.
"I don't want to wait for them to string up barb wire for me to figure out what's going on," Jones said, "I want to make it very clear that Baltimore County is not welcoming any detention centers here."
The situation spurred an emergency council session, bringing out a packed house of residents.
The bill on the docket would ban detention centers in the area.
But Councilman David Marks said the office in Hunt Valley won't be used as a detention facility.
"I know this because I talked to a representative for the property. It's 50,000 square feet, it's housing the General Services Administration. The staff there are handling immigration, customs, and FOIA requests," Marks said.
Even so, he and six other council members voted to pass the bill.
"It's great to see that this bill passed and they're taking a stance against unlawful detention center in Baltimore County," Amick said.
County Executive Kathy Klausmeier released a statement saying,
“In Baltimore County, protecting the safety, dignity, and rights of our communities is our top priority. This legislation responds to a troubling national pattern of immigrant families being detained in facilities that have opened without notice or consideration of community impact. The presence of such facilities can disrupt local businesses, strain public safety resources, and create significant disruption for surrounding communities.
I thank the councilmembers who took swift and decisive action to support our communities and will continue working to ensure that every resident feels safe and secure.”
The bill takes effect immediately.
