HAGERSTOWN, Md. — While state lawmakers try to limit federal immigration authorities, leaders in Washington County approved a resolution offering ICE the county's full support.
WATCH: Heated meeting sees Washington County back ICE detention center
Protesters whistled and shouted, eventually getting kicked out of the meeting and taking their movement outside.
DHS and ICE plan to open an ICE detention center at a 54-acre warehouse property just outside Hagerstown.
"They shouldn't be building the detention centers here. Why can't people just go to work, get on with their boss, go through the typical drama they have to go through, go home? It doesn't have to be all this oppressing, policing, stand on top of people, what they're doing, what they're not doing. People wanna go to work. People wanna feel welcome," James Shields said.
Counter protesters also showed up. One man saying ICE is what the town needs.
"Bad people need to go to the places where they belong. I mean they can't come into our society and want to do harm or cause harm to others, so they need to go to their detention center and learn to not do it again and then come out," RJ Hrabe said.
The resolution takes effect immediately and will be sent to DHS, ICE, and local law enforcement agencies.
Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks wrote to the commission questioning why the board did not take public comment before their vote.
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