Keep ICE Out of Washington County, Maryland Act

Key Points

• This bill would stop the Department of Homeland Security and ICE from building or running any immigration detention centers in Washington County, Maryland. It also prevents the government from spending any money to open, expand, or reopen these types of facilities in that specific area.
• The proposal comes after local residents and officials raised concerns about how a detention center might affect their community's health, housing, and local services. The bill argues that local communities should have more say in how land is used for federal projects and that federal actions should respect local priorities.
• If this bill becomes law, it would allow local residents, the county government, or the state of Maryland to sue in federal court to stop the government from opening a facility. This gives the community a legal way to make sure the ban is followed and allows a judge to block any illegal activity.
• The bill also highlights concerns about the treatment of people in immigration custody, claiming that conditions in many current facilities across the country are inhumane. It mentions that people in these centers are often denied basic rights like medical care, access to lawyers, and visits from their families.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

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