Immigration enforcement package

CASA policy analyst voiced strong support for all six bills, saying fear of enforcement suppresses crime reporting, keeps domestic violence survivors silent, and drives families away from county services.

A Bowie resident and son of Rabi Atu Kuyate — a nurse detained and deported to Sierra Leone despite an immigration judge's ruling — urged the council to pass every bill, saying the county shouldn't play a role in 'ICE's deportation machine.'

A Bowie immigrant-rights advocate with Central American family members who were detained and deported, she supported all bills and said bluntly: 'the more people that we don't hire here, the better.'

Progressive Maryland member cited a September ICE arrest in Hyattsville where an agent's gun came loose and was pointed at bystanders, urging the council to stand up to federal enforcement.