Baltimore City Council Introduces Bill to Ban Private Detention Centers

The proposed legislation aims to protect civil rights and limit immigration enforcement activities in city-owned spaces.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Baltimore City Council has introduced a bill that would ban private detention centers within the city limits. The bill, titled "Baltimore City Policies and Procedures - Safe Spaces and Communities", was introduced by Councilmembers Odette Ramos, Paris Gray, and Mark Parker, and co-sponsored by Council President Zeke Cohen. The proposed legislation also requires city agencies to create a plan to limit immigration enforcement activities in city-owned or operated spaces, including offices, buildings, schools, libraries, and parks.

Why it matters

The majority of immigrants detained in the U.S. are held in facilities operated by private corporations. This legislation is an effort by Baltimore city leaders to take control of what happens within their own jurisdiction and protect the civil rights of their immigrant residents, who have faced increased federal immigration enforcement activity.

The details

The bill was introduced on Monday evening, and the Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing for it on Tuesday, March 10, at 1 p.m. If passed, the legislation would ban the establishment of private detention centers in Baltimore. It would also require city agencies to develop a plan to limit immigration enforcement activities in city-owned or operated spaces.

  • The bill was introduced in the Baltimore City Council on Monday, March 9, 2026.
  • The Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing for the bill on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 1 p.m.

The players

Zeke Cohen

The President of the Baltimore City Council, who said that Baltimore cannot control what Washington does, but can control what happens within the city's own limits.

Odette Ramos

A Baltimore City Councilmember who introduced the bill, stating that the reality of federal immigration enforcement in Baltimore is a "moral crisis" that demands an "urgent and honest response".

Paris Gray

A Baltimore City Councilmember who introduced the bill alongside Ramos and Parker.

Mark Parker

A Baltimore City Councilmember who introduced the bill alongside Ramos and Gray.

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What they’re saying

“Baltimore cannot control what Washington does, but we can control what happens within our own city. This legislation ensures that no private detention facility will be built on Baltimore soil to warehouse our neighbors.”

— Zeke Cohen, Baltimore City Council President (cbsnews.com)

“What is happening to our Latine and immigrant neighbors right now is a moral crisis, and it demands an urgent and honest response. Families in this city are being torn apart. Parents are afraid to bring their children to school. This is the reality of what federal enforcement looks like on the ground in Baltimore, and we refuse to normalize the daily terrorization of immigrants.”

— Odette Ramos, Baltimore City Councilmember (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

The Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing for the bill on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 1 p.m. If the bill is passed, it will require city agencies to create a plan to limit immigration enforcement activities in city-owned or operated spaces.

The takeaway

This legislation is an effort by Baltimore city leaders to take control of what happens within their own jurisdiction and protect the civil rights of their immigrant residents, who have faced increased federal immigration enforcement activity. By banning private detention centers and limiting immigration enforcement in city-owned spaces, the city is taking a stand against the "daily terrorization of immigrants" and the moral crisis facing their Latine and immigrant neighbors.