Defending Human Rights

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, foreign-born residents make up more than 25% of those counted in Prince George’s County between 2020 and 2025. That is not a small or invisible population—it is our neighbors, business owners, faith leaders, essential workers, and families.

In a county as diverse and interconnected as ours, roving street activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) create fear and instability that ripple far beyond any single enforcement action. Already, our own public safety officials are encountering law-abiding residents suffering in silence–hesitent of reporting domestic abuse due to fears of triggering federal deportation actions. Beyond our borders and across the nation, we see how unclear identification, masked agents, and aggressive tactics erode public trust and traumatize entire communities. It is clear: federal actions are not making our communities safer, they merely spread terror and misery. 

Seeking transparency in enforcement is the bare minimum. Federal agents operating in our neighborhoods should have uncovered faces, clearly identifiable markings, and body cameras–this is the same standard to which our own local police are held everyday. But we must go further: Maryland should prohibit disruptive, roving ICE activities that indiscriminately sweep through communities and instead require federal authorities to limit their involvement to individuals who have already been arrested, tried under local law, and are in lawful detention.

Every resident of Prince George’s County deserves due process. Every resident deserves to feel safe walking to work, taking their children to school, or attending church—regardless of their origin or immigration status.

Federal agents swear an oath to uphold the Constitution. The Fourth Amendment is clear: no agent should enter or search a resident’s home without a judicial warrant. Our local government cannot rewrite federal law, but we can set firm boundaries, demand accountability, and use every tool available to protect civil rights.

This is not about politics—it is about principle. A community cannot thrive when so many of its residents live in fear and actual wrongdoers go under the radar. We must defend our constitutional protections, insist on lawful conduct, and ensure that dignity and due process apply to everyone who calls this county home.