HoCo Exec Ball Signs The Liberty Act To Assist Immigrants

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — County employees can no longer ask about the immigration status of residents, discriminate based upon immigration status or require information related to citizenship be kept confidential with the signing of CB-63, The Liberty Act, by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.

Ball also wrote a letter to the Biden Administration transition team emphasizing the need for changes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and their current operations in the country.

“Four years ago, I co-sponsored CB-9, a bill that would protect undocumented immigrants in Howard County from discrimination,” Ball said. “This legislation was important to me to help protect many of our residents who lived in constant fear of being detained and deported as they worked hard to support their families and children. Several components of this legislation are already practiced by our departments and today, I am proud to sign Council Member Dr. Opel Jones’ Liberty Act legislation to further protect innocent, undocumented residents in Howard County."

In September, Ball changed qualifications for Howard County Detention Center to only hold ICE detainees who been convicted of a crime of violence as defined in Maryland Criminal Law Code annotated section 14-101. Under the previous policy, the department of corrections could house ICE detainees who have been charged with or convicted of jailable offenses. The list of violent crimes included in the statute has been defined by the Maryland General Assembly and include such crimes as murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and more serious assaults and sexual offenses.

“This historic legislation addresses inequities that face our communities, specifically the underrepresented and vulnerable immigrant communities,” Council Member Opel Jones said. “These major challenges that face our immigrant communities, face all of us since we are community of one. Every resident of this great county prides themselves on an all-inclusive community theme that boasts to ‘Choose Civility.’ Drafting this legislation, promoting, and garnering support for it renewed this legislative urgency.”

Howard County does not and has never participated in the 287(g) program like in Cecil, Frederick and Harford counties during the 25 years of its contract. The Howard County Detention Center also does not and has never housed women or children. Additionally, Howard County police are not involved in any way with transporting ICE detainees in custody or to the detention center. ICE agents make the arrests, process all intakes at their Baltimore field office and then use a private contractor to transport detainees to the Howard County Detention Center.