Immigrant advocates ask county to protect access, fund civic engagement and avoid participation in enforcement

Multiple speakers representing Latino and immigrant advocacy groups urged Baltimore County to fund services for immigrants, preserve confidentiality protections and avoid partnering with federal immigration enforcement.

Lucia Islas, president of Comité Latino, asked the county to “fully fund services and programs for immigrants, including our diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across Baltimore County government, our school systems, and libraries.” She called those programs “life saving” for neighbors who are immigrants and argued that inclusive services support economic growth and social cohesion.

Susana Barrios, president of the Latino Bridal Justice Circle, said her coalition supports the Baltimore County Immigrant Affairs Team and requested funding for civic engagement courses and family-preparedness workshops. She also asked county agencies to ensure confidentiality, patient privacy protections and restrictions on data collection to prevent county programs from being used for immigration enforcement. Barrios said “using county dollars to enforce federal policies erodes trust in public safety officers” and urged the county to focus on community policing, schools and economic development while leaving immigration enforcement to federal agencies.

Speakers framed these requests as budget priorities to be considered during FY26 budgeting. County staff indicated public input will be considered as the executive prepares the budget; no formal policy changes were announced at the meeting.