HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — Limits on ice activity in Howard County are up for a vote in the county council.
WATCH: Howard County Council to vote on bills limiting ICE activity
The council formally introduced the legislation Monday night.
The emergency ice bills sparked a rally before the meeting.
One of the demonstrators, Christine Carey, said immigrants are part of what makes the county special.
"Columbia was supposed to be this area where different backgrounds, different religions, different socioeconomic statuses, we all sit side by side, we all live side by side," she said, "And the idea that these people are gonna come in and tear my neighbors away, no."
One bill, submitted by County Executive Calvin Ball, would prevent privately owned detention centers.
This, after a privately owned building in Elkridge, neared completion of its renovation as a detention facility.
The county revoked the building's permit on Monday.
The other bill, introduced by councilwoman Liz Walsh, would render any county contracts with ICE null and void.
Every chair in the room was filled as Chair Opel Jones spoke candidly on the future of Ball's proposed legislation.
"Since there are four co-sponsors on the bill, it is about 99.99% likely to pass," he told the crowd, spurring a round of applause.
For Viviana Lozano with CASA, it was music to her ears.
"It makes us feel like we are welcome here," Lozano said.
That's something she said is needed after living in fear with ICE in Maryland.
"It's very scary times for people like me with my skin color, my accent, my name to be able to be anywhere in all of Maryland."
Jones told WMAR-2 News all they can hope for is for people to be safe and vigilant when it comes to interactions with ICE.
"Hopefully we won't get to a place where they're hanging out and being in places where they think people may be, that can be a problem as we've seen in other cities and other states," he said.
He told us that if events start to escalate, we may see more legislation regarding ICE.
There will be public comment on the bills on Wednesday.
They will vote on the legislation on Thursday.
