Baltimore Leaders Call for End to ICE Cooperation

City Councilman and community advocates demand city cut ties with federal immigration enforcement.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 11:07am

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City and community leaders in Baltimore gathered outside the George H. Fallon Federal building on Thursday to speak out against ICE operations in the city. Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway condemned the conditions inside the ICE facility, calling it "an affront, an atrocity to the city." Conway is calling on the city council to end cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, prohibit the city from participating in ICE staging and operations, and ensure ICE has no access to non-public spaces in city-owned buildings without a warrant.

Why it matters

The calls to end cooperation with ICE reflect growing tensions between local governments and federal immigration enforcement, as cities seek to limit the role of federal agencies in their communities. This issue touches on debates around immigration policy, civil liberties, and the balance of power between local and federal authorities.

The details

Councilman Conway referenced a video shared by lawmakers that highlighted the conditions inside the ICE facility, which he said was "an affront, an atrocity to the city." Conway is calling on his fellow city council members to take legislative action to restrict ICE's access and operations within Baltimore. The ACLU of Maryland also voiced support for ending state and county-level agreements that allow ICE to detain individuals.

  • The community leaders gathered and spoke out against ICE operations on Thursday, January 30, 2026.

The players

Mark Conway

A Baltimore City Councilman who represents District 4 and is running for Maryland's 7th Congressional district.

Dana Vickers Shelley

The executive director of the ACLU of Maryland, who spoke in support of ending state and county-level agreements with ICE.

Zeke Cohen

The President of the Baltimore City Council, who said he looks forward to reviewing Councilman Conway's legislation on this matter.

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What they’re saying

“I'm joining the folks here today because what is happening inside this federal building is an affront, an atrocity to the city. Not just to our values, to our authority, to our safety or our humanity. Baltimore is not required to be a staging ground for cruelty. We're not required to cooperate with it.”

— Mark Conway, Baltimore City Councilman

“Right now in Maryland, we're working in Annapolis to make sure that we can get rid of these agreements that our state, that (eight) counties across our state have with ICE which allows them to roam the streets of whatever county they're in and say to someone, 'Hey, you look like an immigrant, get in my car, I'm going to detain you.'”

— Dana Vickers Shelley, Executive Director, ACLU of Maryland

What’s next

Councilman Conway plans to reach out to his fellow city council members "very soon" to work on legislation that would restrict ICE's access and operations within Baltimore.

The takeaway

This dispute over ICE cooperation reflects the broader tensions between local governments and federal immigration enforcement, as cities seek to limit the role of federal agencies in their communities and protect the civil liberties of their residents.