By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
The Baltimore City Council is considering legislation aimed at protecting immigrant communities by banning discrimination based on actual or perceived immigration status. The proposal, heard in committee on March 10, would also limit when city agencies can coordinate with federal immigration officials and establish clear policies governing those interactions.
Photo Credit: AFRO Photo/Tashi McQueen
“This bill draws a clear line,” said Councilman Mark Conway (D-District 4), council chair for the Public Safety and Government Operations Committee, which the bill was heard in. “In the absence of federal reform the city of Baltimore should provide no support, no coordination and no assistance to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) beyond what is explicitly required by federal law or ordered by a federal judge member of our community.”
Councilwoman Odette Ramos (D–District 14) said the bill would essentially codify Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s March 4 executive order. The order protects residents’ rights and access to city services, preserves local control of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) and prohibits ICE from using city-owned property without a judicial warrant, among other measures.
The legislation would additionally codify city government and BPD policies, ensuring non-engagement in immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant, de-escalation, documentation of federal interactions, and staff training consistent with the executive order.
The bill has the support of the entire council as co-sponsors, excluding Councilman Issac “Yitzy” Schliefer (D-District 5). The AFRO reached out for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
“People are being detained while dropping their children off to school, outside of the grocery store, headed to work or even outside places of worship,” said Cindy Ogide, a Baltimore and Central Maryland manager of health and human services at We Are CASA. “Just a few months ago, we could somewhat anticipate when these calls might come in, now, we are receiving calls all hours of the day, every day of the week.”
Ogide said families describe aggressive and frightening tactics used during arrests. We Are CASA responds daily through legal advocacy, community mobilization and direct support services.
“My team is in charge of responding to arrests in the region and I am sure it is no surprise that in Baltimore City we see the largest number of arrests from our nearby counties,” said Crisaly De Los Santos, director of Baltimore and Central Maryland’s We Are CASA. Santos commended the council for the legislation, calling it one of the most comprehensive in the state regarding policies that limit collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE.
According to the Online Deportation Data Project, more than 3,300 people were detained by ICE in Maryland from Jan. 1 to mid-October 2025, with roughly 17 percent of arrests taking place in Baltimore City, the highest of any county in the state.
“Every detention creates a ripple effect of trauma,” added Ogide. “Children suddenly lose their parents, families suddenly lose their breadwinner and the community becomes great with fear.”
Supporters say the “Safe Spaces and Communities” would strengthen protections for immigrants and other Baltimore residents.
“We are concerned about all of our immigrant communities here in the City of Baltimore, whether from Central America, West Africa or Europe…we are a city that has deeply benefited from the diversity in our communities, so we welcome people from all over the world,” said Council President Zeke Cohen (D).
In Baltimore City, around 50 people of African or Caribbean citizenship were arrested by ICE from Jan. 1 to mid-October 2025, with over 195 arrested statewide, according to the Online Deportation Data Project.
“We know that the [47th president’s] administration has been particularly brutal toward Black and Brown people,” Cohen said. “We have seen it in their depiction of the Haitian community in Minnesota, in the way they target folks from Central America, and we see it the way they target people from Africa and other majority Black places around the globe. Our commitment is to stand up for all of our neighbors, no matter where they came from.”
Cohen noted that local jurisdictions can only monitor so much of ICE’s activities, because they lack the authority to access detainee data that federal law enforcement does not voluntarily share.
Council Chair Conway said a quorum was not present to move the bill out of committee, but promised attendees that the legislation is a priority.