Baltimore committee hears bill to bar city cooperation with ICE; community witnesses describe alleged abuses and health risks

The Baltimore City Council Public Safety Committee heard testimony on council bill 26‑0144, the Safe Spaces and Communities Act, which would bar city agencies from assisting federal immigration enforcement except when required by law or a judicial order and would require agency‑specific immigration enforcement response plans coordinated with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and MEMA.

Chair Mark Conway opened the hearing and framed the measure as a local response to what he described as an expanded federal enforcement apparatus. He said the bill “draws a clear line. In the absence of federal reform, the city of Baltimore should provide no support, no coordination, and no assistance to ICE beyond what is explicitly required by federal law or ordered by a federal judge.”

Why it matters

Sponsors and supporters told the committee the bill is intended to preserve trust between residents and local government so people will continue to report crimes, seek medical care and use city services. Councilman Paris Gray argued the measure is not anti‑police but “a reaffirmation of a fundamental agreement that the role of local policing is to serve and protect the people of Baltimore City,” and he said the bill “makes Baltimore safer.” Councilwoman Odette Ramos, a sponsor, detailed amendments that narrow coverage to city agencies (removing prior language about third‑party covered entities), require agency plans and training, and add BPD‑specific procedures for verifying warrants and documenting interactions.

Community and expert testimony

A range of witnesses urged swift passage. Chair Conway read a family’s written testimony describing an asylum seeker—identified in the…