Frederick County clarifies emergency exception in proposed ICE cooperation limits
The council unanimously approved an amendment defining urgent public-safety situations. The broader Values Act remains pending, with another hearing scheduled Oct. 13.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW
The council unanimously approved an amendment Oct. 6, not the full Values Act. The amendment defines urgent circumstances that could permit cooperation without waiting for a judicial warrant. A new public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 13, with a final vote tentatively set for Oct. 20. Support for the amendment did not indicate unanimous support for the underlying bill.
Frederick County Council members agreed Tuesday, Oct. 6, on language defining when an emergency could allow cooperation with federal immigration officers under a proposed county bill.
The unanimous vote approved an amendment to the Immigration Enforcement Guidance bill, also called the Values Act. It was not a vote to enact the overall legislation, according to The Frederick News-Post.
As described in the report, the bill would generally restrict county employees from giving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers access to county information or facilities without a federal warrant. It includes an exception when an officer says urgent circumstances require immediate entry.
The amendment defines those circumstances as situations requiring law enforcement to act immediately to address a public-safety threat without waiting for a valid judicial warrant.
Examples include an imminent risk of death, violence or harm to a person or property; pursuit of a suspect; and an imminent risk that evidence will be destroyed. The examples are not an exhaustive list.
Council Vice President Kavonté Duckett, who introduced the bill with Council Member Renee Knapp, said the definition follows guidance issued by the Maryland attorney general’s office as of Oct. 1.
The change sends the bill to another public hearing, scheduled for Oct. 13. A final vote is tentatively planned for Oct. 20, the News-Post reported.
Council members have previously said the proposal contains no penalty for county employees who fail to follow its provisions. That issue remains part of the disagreement over the bill’s effectiveness.
Duckett has described the measure as an expression of the county’s values. At an earlier hearing, many speakers supported it, while some argued that it should go further to protect immigrants.
Council Member Steve McKay has criticized the broader proposal as unenforceable. He supported the amendment but said he still opposed the bill. Council Member Mason Carter likewise supported clarifying the emergency exception while stating that he would not support the overall measure.
WHAT IT MEANS
The amendment narrows uncertainty about how the proposed emergency exception would work. The larger questions—whether to adopt the limits and how effective they would be—remain before the council. Residents will have another opportunity to comment before the tentative final vote.
Original reporting referenced by Everything Frederick:
The Frederick News-Post — Reporting by Erik Anderson. Adapted from the supplied article. →Want more Frederick updates like this?
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