BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — The Spotlight is on immigration in the Baltimore County Council.
WATCH: Baltimore County neighbors divided over immigration bills
Controversial bills lit a fire under dozens of people on each side of the debate.
Protecting immigrant communities and putting limits on ICE are the focuses of two proposed Baltimore County Council bills.
One bill will put safeguards in place on how county agencies can engage with ICE while also putting a buffer on the level of ICE's activities in Baltimore County.
The second bill would cement the county's Office of Immigrant Affairs into law.
Councilman Izzy Patoka is sponsoring both proposals, saying it's all about reducing fear.
"People that live here, irrespective of the paperwork they have or the paperwork they don't have, can feel safe in going to church or their place of worship, will feel safe in sending their children to school," Patoka said.
Tuesday night, dozens of people for and against the bill showed up to testify.
Donna Batkis told the council that the bills are necessary and spoke to the state of fear her friends are living in.
"All I've been hearing from my colleagues, from my neighbors is that they live in fear because of the color of their skin, the languages they speak," Batkis said, "These bills are essential legislation and will support and protect the constitutional rights afforded to all residents in our county charter."
Another man, Bilal Askaryar, expressed his own fears with ICE.
"I'm here because I'm tired carrying a copy of my passport with me when I go on a walk or drive across the state to visit my nieces," Askaryar said.
But Glen Geelhar is vehemently against the proposals.
He pointed to a local woman, Kayla Hamilton, who was killed by an undocumented immigrant in 2022.
"She lost her beautiful daughter from an MS-13 gang member up in Harford County, not that far away...which is what you have when you have illegal immigration, unvetted, unverified," Gellhar testified.
Patoka responded to him.
"The things you have mentioned are tragedies and horrific, but I don't think it's appropriate to cast sin upon an entire community," Patoka said.
Councilman Julian Jones also provided a rebuttal.
"That was what the president said he wanted to get rid of, people like that. But that is not the vast majority of the people being deported," Jones told Geelhar.
The council will vote on the bills on February 2nd.
