Thursday, January 5, 2017
Robert Lang, WBAL NewsRadio 1090

Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman says he will veto legislation that would prevent police and other county agencies from inquiring about the status of undocumented immigrants.

In a statement issued Thursday night, Kittleman called the bill a, "hollow political statement."

Kittleman says because it doesn't supersede federal law so it does not stop federal immigration officers from coming into the county to deport undocumented immigrants.

Kittleman also fears the bill would jeopardize police investigations into gang activity, in which county police deal with federal agents.

He also fears the county may lose federal money.

Kittleman does say the county promotes tolerance diversity and inclusion.

He says the county will, "continue to be a welcoming, inclusive and safe community where we celebrate our diversity."

The bill was introduced in the county council earlier this week and faces a hearing on Janaury 17.

Statement from Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman

Howard County has long been known for valuing diversity, inclusion, and civility. These have been guiding principles throughout my life and why I have championed efforts like #OneHoward and stood up against acts of hatred and bigotry. We in Howard County are a welcoming community that values diversity and inclusion of all people, which makes us a stronger community. We embrace our diverse cultural and religious beliefs throughout the year with dozens of community programs and events.

While we have laws in place against hate crimes, we also know that no law or policy can prevent all acts of racism or prejudice. Council Bill 9 (CB-9), introduced by Councilmembers Calvin Ball and Jen Terrasa, is a hollow political statement that provides a false sense of security, compromises our ability to keep our community safe, and could jeopardize federal funding for critical programs and services. For these reasons, I will veto CB-9 should it pass the County Council.

False Sense of Security. As many have already pointed out, CB-9 will not protect undocumented immigrants from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and cannot prevent immigrants from being deported. As the Supreme Court has held, only the federal government has authority over all immigration enforcement. The Howard County Police Department is responsible for the investigation and enforcement of criminal law, and has never been engaged in the enforcement of immigration laws. This bill’s own language states it will not supersede any federal or state law, or any existing agreement between the County and any other federal, state or local government.

Compromise Public Safety Efforts. Our police department has made tremendous progress working with ICE over the last several years targeting drug activity, child pornography and human trafficking. The County was successful in its effort to locate, arrest and prosecute MS-13 gang members in large part through assistance from ICE. In addition, our recent efforts to investigate child pornography and human trafficking crimes have been successful because of cooperative agreements with ICE. A serious concern is that passage of CB-9 could compromise the County’s ability to keep our community safe.

Loss of Federal funds. CB-9 will add language to the Howard County Code that could put us at risk of losing some critical federal funding. I am not willing to jeopardize existing programs and services which benefit all Howard County residents to adopt a label that would not change any of the policies and practices that we already have in place.

My administration will continue to champion and preserve our values and we encourage residents to seek paths toward legalization. Our departments and agencies, including our Police Department, will continue to treat each resident with dignity and respect. My promise, as County Executive, is that Howard County will continue to be a welcoming, inclusive and safe community where we celebrate our diversity
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http://www.wbal.com/article/212345/3...ty-legislation