Keep ICE Out of Washington County, Maryland Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill starts with findings that immigration detention facilities affect public health, housing, infrastructure, local services, due process, access to counsel, family visitation, and local land-use planning. It then prohibits DHS and any component, including ICE, from establishing, operating, expanding, or reopening a detention or holding facility in Washington County, Maryland. No appropriated or otherwise available federal funds may be used for those activities, and residents, the county government, a Member of Congress, or Maryland may sue in the District of Maryland for declaratory or injunctive relief.
Who Benefits and How
Washington County residents, Washington County government, local officials, detained noncitizens, immigration attorneys, and Maryland benefit from a statutory veto over ICE civil detention facilities in the county and a private enforcement route in federal court. Community opponents of detention siting gain standing and a clear remedy rather than relying only on appropriations oversight or local land-use processes. Noncitizens benefit if the prohibition prevents detention in facilities the findings describe as limiting medical care, counsel, and family visitation.
Who Bears the Burden and How
DHS, ICE, federal detention planners, and private detention contractors must avoid establishing, operating, expanding, or reopening covered civil detention or holding facilities in Washington County and may not obligate federal funds for those purposes. Federal agencies face potential injunctions in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland if covered plaintiffs sue. Contracting and intergovernmental-service arrangements for civil immigration detention in the county would be blocked.
Key Provisions
- Prohibits DHS and ICE from establishing civil immigration detention or holding facilities in Washington County, Maryland.
- Blocks federal funds for operating, expanding, or reopening covered detention facilities in the county.
- Creates standing for Washington County residents, the county government, Members of Congress, and Maryland.
- Authorizes declaratory and injunctive relief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Bars DHS and ICE from establishing, operating, expanding, or reopening civil immigration detention or holding facilities in Washington County, Maryland, blocks federal funds for that purpose, and gives local residents, the county government, Members of Congress, and Maryland standing to seek injunctive relief.
Key Policy Areas
immigration, local_governance, civil_rights
Primary Purpose
Bars DHS and ICE from establishing, operating, expanding, or reopening civil immigration detention or holding facilities in Washington County, Maryland, blocks federal funds for that purpose, and gives local residents, the county government, Members of Congress, and Maryland standing to seek injunctive relief.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Washington County residents
- Washington County government
- Detained noncitizens
- Immigration attorneys
- State of Maryland
Identified Costs
- Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Federal detention planners
- Private detention contractors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition …
Introduced in House
Mrs. McClain Delaney introduced the following bill; which was referred …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Local officials, State of Maryland, Washington County government
Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "agencies"
- → ['Department of Homeland Security', 'U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement']
- "beneficiaries"
- → ['Washington County residents', 'Washington County government', 'State of Maryland']
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology