No More Detainees Held At Howard County Department Of Corrections

Columbia MD

23 March, 2021

5:13 PM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Howard County Department of Corrections will be terminating its contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, under which the department housed detainees in ICE custody. This decision was made in the wake of President Biden's recent reforms of ICE policies and procedures, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at a news conference. "During the past year, our county has had thoughtful conversations and passionate engagement in regard to the policy of our department of corrections housing ICE detainees," Ball said. "Throughout this process, I maintained the position that our department of corrections was preferable for these inmates, their families and their lawyers as compared to federal detention centers being run by the Trump Administration. Now that President Biden's Administration is addressing ICE policies, we feel more confident in the protection of detainees and their legal rights moving forward. I believe it is in Howard County's best interest currently to terminate the contract and end the county's relationship with ICE." The county notified ICE March 19 that it would be terminating the contract to house federal ICE detainees at the Howard County Detention Center. ICE now has 60 days to move any current detainees housed in Howard County. "CASA members who have been held in detention know too well the inhumanity of our immigration system," Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA, said. The Foreign-Born Information and Referral Network will be providing each of the current detainees with a consultation on their legal rights and representation. "We'll do everything we can to ensure a smooth transition," Andrea King-Wessels, acting director of the department of corrections, said.