Council introduces emergency measures on immigration enforcement, police verification and face‑covering limits
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Summary
The council introduced multiple emergency acts and resolutions concerning immigration enforcement and police transparency — including a bill to prescribe county guidance for immigration enforcement, a Resident Kidnapping Protection Act to authorize police verification of enforcement agents, and a proposal to limit face coverings by officers — all referred to the Committee of the Whole.
At its Feb. 17 session the Prince George's County Council introduced a series of related emergency bills and resolutions addressing immigration enforcement, police verification of enforcement agents and officer face coverings.
CBO 6 20 26, presented by Councilmembers Olson and Bridal, would require the County Executive to develop and publish guidance restricting access for immigration enforcement at certain county facilities, and would provide signage templates for private use; the bill text declares a public emergency tied to alleged unlawful federal immigration enforcement activity. CBO 7 20 26, described as the Resident Kidnapping Protection Act and introduced by Councilmembers Bridal and Olson, would allow county residents to request verification of identity and authority from persons conducting immigration enforcement and require a specified police response and public outreach. Both bills were introduced and referred to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration.
Separately, CBO 8 20 26 (introduced by councilmembers listed in the transcript as Oriela, Fisher and Olsen) is framed as an emergency act to prohibit certain law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings that conceal or obscure the face while interacting with the public; the text cites public trust and transparency as purposes and was referred to the Committee of the Whole.
The council also introduced CRO 8 20 26, a resolution urging county partner institutions to prohibit use of public property under their control for civil immigration enforcement, and CRO 9 20 26, directing county partnership with a nonprofit to compile a roster of residents who may be or become ICE detainees; both resolutions were referred to the Committee of the Whole and carried multiple additional sponsors.
All of these measures were introduced for committee consideration; no committee deliberations or votes on the measures’ merits occurred during the Feb. 17 session. The transcript records that sponsors framed the bills as emergency measures citing threats to community safety and public trust; detailed language, legal implications and enforcement protocols will be evaluated in committee.