Public Safety Committee advances bill to limit city cooperation with immigration enforcement

The Baltimore City Council Public Safety Committee voted to advance Bill 26-0144, titled "Baltimore City policies and procedures, Safe Spaces and Communities," after approving sponsor amendments and an additional change restricting use of city property for immigration enforcement, Chair Mark Conway said.

The measure, which Conway described as aimed at protecting the city’s growing immigrant community, passed the committee 5-0 with Councilmembers McCrae and Sliper recorded as absent. Conway said the policy is intended to ensure "the city and all of our resources do not go towards aiding, abetting ... activity ... out of ICE." (Mark Conway, Chair, Public Safety Committee.)

Sponsor Paris Gray, identified as a Councilmember, summarized five sponsor amendments that the committee adopted: the first replaces the term "covered entity" with "agency," narrows scope and directs consultation through the mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and applies selected provisions to contractors and nonprofits receiving city funds; the second is an administrative change moving a reporting deadline from March to April; the third clarifies that certain enforcement-related actions must be tied to an actual judge rather than broadly to a "court"; the fourth aligns ordinance language with existing department policy to avoid conflicts; and the fifth limits credential requests to avoid "unmasking" individuals and to improve enforceability.

"The first amendment just seeks to replace all covered entity and replace it with agency," Paris Gray said while explaining the sponsor package.

The committee also considered and adopted an amendment not included in the packet that would bar immigration officials from using any space owned, leased, operated or controlled by city agencies — including parks and other public facilities — to stage, coordinate, plan or conduct immigration enforcement actions without a valid permit. The committee solicited review from the Law Department; a Law Department representative, Hillary, said the office could approve the language for form and legal sufficiency.

The committee approved the sponsor amendments by voice vote and later took a roll-call vote on the bill. The roll call recorded affirmative votes from Chair Mark Conway, Zach Blanchard, Paris Gray, Felicia Porter and Antonio Glover; Councilmembers McCrae and Sliper were absent. The chair announced the bill carried with five votes in the affirmative and two absent members.

The committee chair framed the committee action as a statement of support for immigrant families and said the measure will move forward in the Council’s legislative process. The hearing was then adjourned.