Baltimore County police say they will not take part in directed ICE operations; community fear remains

Baltimore County’s police leadership told the county VC Stat meeting they will not participate in directed immigration-enforcement operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, though they said officers will respond to emergencies and criminal incidents involving ICE activity.

Chief McCullough said the Major City Chiefs’ meeting in Washington, D.C., included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership, and that ICE representatives told law-enforcement leaders they would not be conducting operations in schools, churches or other similar facilities. "They made it very clear that they don't have capacity or capability to to handle or process children. They have no desire to separate families or anything like that and that they would not be going into churches or any other facilities like that," Chief McCullough said, referencing remarks from a federal official at the conference.

On local policy, Chief McCullough told the panel: "we're not going to participate in any directed activity by them that's focused on immigration policy or immigration issues because that's not our mission." He added that the department would continue to carry out standard law-enforcement duties and would assist ICE in emergency situations where criminal activity or threats require police response.

Several meeting participants described community anxiety related to immigration enforcement. One roundtable speaker said many community members were avoiding grocery stores and attending church less often. A county official and the police chief said the department is conducting outreach to reassure residents and encourage them to continue everyday activities, including reporting crimes.

County members also asked how state or federal guidance from the attorney general's office should be interpreted; the chief said the police department's approach is to follow county policy and to "operate as usual" while remaining prepared to respond to emergencies connected to any federal activity.

Speakers at the meeting emphasized the need for clear communication to schools and community organizations about what officials at the conference were hearing from ICE leadership. Chief McCullough and other participants said they had not found evidence that ICE was carrying out the kinds of community operations residents feared.