Elfreth Testifies Against Elkridge ICE Facility

ELLICOTT CITY, MD- Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03) testified at a Howard County Council public hearing in support of CB16-2026 - Emergency Legislation - Amending - Howard County Building Code - I-3 Use group. This legislation would prohibit the permitting of privately-owned buildings operating as detention centers in Howard County. This legislation was introduced in response to the County's inspection of a privately-owned office building in Elkridge, which is currently under renovation for use as a detention facility.

"As the Trump Administration continues to weaponize ICE and stoke fear in our communities, we have to be united across government - local, state, and federal government - to protect the safety and dignity of our neighbors. When ICE sends under-trained agents - who spend roughly ⅓ the amount of time training than our own local law enforcement - when they send those undertrained agents into our communities with guns and masks and no respect for due process, the public trust is eroded. When two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, are brutally murdered on camera, ICE is not making our communities any safer. And in 2025 - I know you know this, but I have to say it for the record - it was the deadliest year on record for those who were detained in ICE facilities. 25 people died in ICE facilities while in custody. In January 2026 this year, eight people have died. We need meaningful reform," said Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth. "Thank you, Howard County Council, for not just taking up this bill, but expediting this bill, and to my partner, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, for taking quick and decisive action to halt an ICE detention center here in Elkridge."

Elfreth votedyesterday against additional funding for DHS and ICE. She has also been outspokenagainst the weaponization of ICE in Minneapolis and called for the impeachmentof Secretary Noem.

At the meeting, Elfreth and her team handed out DHS and ICE privacy release forms, which allow the Congresswoman's team to communicate with the federal agency on behalf of constituents. For Marylanders impacted by the President's weaponization of ICE, Elfreth's office has compiled a Know Your Rights factsheet, and the Congresswoman has also partnered with the National Immigration Law Center to share additional resources.

CLICK HERE or the image below to view Elfreth's full remarks.

Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth

Remarks as Delivered

Testimony in Support of CB16-2026

February 4th, 2026

I'd like to start by thanking the Council for not just taking up this bill, but expediting this bill. I'd like to thank my partner, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, for taking quick and decisive action this week.

But if I could take a moment, Mc. Chair, I'd like to thank everyone in this room for showing up on really difficult days, for standing with your neighbors in tremendously trying times. You give me hope, even on the really hard days in Washington. I just want to thank everyone for participating in this democratic process. This is who we are and what we're supposed to be.

I, for the record, am here to testify in support of CB16-2026.

As the Trump Administration continues to weaponize ICE and stoke fear in our communities, we have to be united across government - local, state, and federal government - to protect the safety and dignity of our neighbors.

When ICE sends under-trained agents - who spend roughly ⅓ the amount of time training than our own local law enforcement - when they send those undertrained agents into our communities with guns and masks and no respect for due process, the public trust is eroded.

When two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, are brutally murdered on camera, ICE is not making our communities any safer.

And in 2025 - I know you know this, but I have to say it for the record - it was the deadliest year on record for those who were detained in ICE facilities. 25 people died in ICE facilities while in custody. In January 2026 this year, eight people have died. We need meaningful reform.

But when people are afraid to go to work, send their kids to school, or peacefully protest because of actions taken by their own government, we are seeing a fundamental failure across government.

This week in the House of Representatives, I'm not sure if you saw, but I and most of the delegation, including our Senators, voted no on funding ICE and DHS.

We are united as a caucus in calling for an investigation of what happened in Minnesota. I want to share with folks in the room. I spend a lot of time with my colleagues from Minnesota. The occupation is the only word I can speak for them here of what is happening. It is worse than you are seeing on television, and it has no place in this country.

And, I have signed onto articles of impeachment against Secretary Noem.

But, I do want to focus on how all of what is happening in Washington, D.C. is impacting our community right here in Howard County. Locally, we all know in this room that an ICE detention facility is not welcome in Elkridge. It is not welcome anywhere in Maryland. We have state laws already protecting this, and we're seeing this Administration undermine those state laws.

I have been to the ICE Baltimore facility with many of my colleagues in the delegation multiple times to conduct our oversight duties. You probably saw that they locked us out the first time we attempted to conduct our legal oversight responsibilities. I can tell you there are many outstanding questions we have around safety, around medication, around access to attorneys, and access to families of those who are detained in that facility. Like many of you, the videos that we've seen this week, reportedly from the Baltimore facility, are terrifying.

If I could, Mr. Chair, I just want to speak to folks watching at home and folks in this room. We are living in dark and scary times. As this Administration targets people based on the color of their skin, as this agency actively tramples on the due process and civil rights of neighbors, as they try to intimidate peaceful protesters, I too feel it often difficult to keep the faith. These videos are gutwrenching. The headlines leave us feeling hopeless. But, please continue to lean in and stay engaged.

What gives me hope are the people here in this room, the organizers in Minnesota, the faith leaders across the country who are peacefully protesting and braving the bitter cold to make clear that ICE has no place in our communities. In Howard County, I know that we will continue to show our solidarity, show up, and speak up.

I do want to mention to the folks in this room that my office here in Columbia is ready to serve you. One of the ways we do that is by communicating with federal agencies on your behalf, everything from VA benefits and IRS to ICE and immigration.

Mr. Chair, there hasn't been a week - I've been your Congresswoman for a little over a year now - there has not been a week I have served in this position, where I have not received a frantic text message or Facebook tag from somebody whose loved one, or coworker, or neighbor has been picked up by ICE. And my office has and is ready to spring into action when that happens. But, what I need from folks in this room - it's bureaucratic - but we can't do that, without a privacy release form. We brought them, Mr. Chair. They are in the back of the room. I would encourage folks, if you have any reason to be in need of our services, you can fill those privacy release forms out. We will keep them on file. They are private to us. And then if God forbid, we need to support you with the federal government, we can spring into action immediately.

Again, these are not easy times, but my office is here to serve you on our hardest days.

And I want to just note, I spent an hour with colleagues from across the country yesterday, just focused on this issue. And so many of my colleagues are facing this same issue of privately run detention facilities seeking permits in their offices. Councilwoman Rigby, we talked about this on the phone just the other day, and I'm proud to be able to say in that meeting, Howard County in my district is taking action. You are now showing them what action looks like - what leadership looks like. You are on the cutting edge of the response that local government can and should take up in this moment, and I've shared that. And, I'm incredibly proud of the fact that you are taking this action and doing it so expeditiously. And with that, I just want to thank you. Thank you for being a model. Thank you for letting me go overtime, Mr. Chair. I greatly appreciate it.

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