Council Passes Bill Barring ICE From County Properties

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — New legislation passed by the Montgomery County Council prohibits immigration enforcement activity on county-owned properties.

The County Values Act, unanimously approved by the legislative body on Tuesday, mirrors the Maryland Values Act passed by the state's General Assembly in 2025.

Under the measure, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are barred from all county-controlled facilities unless they present a federal judicial warrant.

The county's measure implements the following mandates:

• New training to ensure staff fully understand judicial warrant requirements.
• County buildings must have clear signage noting that ICE agents are barred.
• ICE-related activity is prohibited at any county-owned or controlled parking lots, garages, and vacant lots.
• Provide signage templates to businesses that want to restrict ICE access to their properties.

The legislation also directs the county executive to establish an online portal where staff can report ICE violations. Information filed through the portal could be used by the county attorney to enforce the law.

“This is about making sure we are doing everything we can to protect our residents on county property," said Council member Kristin Mink, who sponsored the bill.

"While we can’t make ICE agents behave lawfully, we can employ the strongest possible protocols at every facility the county controls, fully train our staff to respond to emergencies, and block off vacant lots ICE tries to use."

County Executive Marc Elrich is expected to sign the legislation within the next two weeks.

Also being weighed by the council are the ICE Out and Vehicle Recovery acts.

The ICE Out Act, introduced by Council member Evan Glass, would prevent private detention facilities in the county by prohibiting building and occupancy permits from being issued.

On the other hand, the Vehicle Recovery Act would allow relatives of individuals detained by ICE to retrieve their vehicle from tow lots.

Both measures are scheduled to be reviewed during work sessions on April 10 and 15, respectively.

A Unmask ICE Act proposed by Council member Will Jawando is scheduled to be reviewed April 17.