An emergency bill preventing private detention facilities in Baltimore County unanimously passed Tuesday, February 10 during an emergency session after learning that the U.S. General Services Administration leased office space in Cockeysville, Maryland.

Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s office does not believe the Cockeysville location will be a detention center. However, the bill, which goes into effect immediately, is a preventative measure to stop any private detention facilities in the future.

Although it isn’t clear what work is currently being done at the Cockeysville office, the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor and Law Practice Division (the legal arm of ICE), has active job postings, which include vacancies in Baltimore, according to a federal hiring website.

The council said while it can’t control the federal buildings in the county, it can limit how private property is used by the federal agencies, which includes revoking any permit filed for a detention center.

In another effort to limit federal agents in the county, Council member Patoka introduced a bill to ban facial coverings for law enforcement. It will have a public hearing on February 24. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it is expanding its ICE workforce, and has added 12,000 ICE officers since last summer — a 120% increase in the workforce.

A similar bill was recently passed in Howard County to revoke a building permit that detailed renovations to tenant spaces, supported areas, detention facilities, detainee processing and secured waiting areas. The law went into effect immediately.

(Taken from an email sent to me by Never Again Action.)