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Baltimore County Calls Emergency Session After Federal Lease for Potential ICE Office in Hunt Valley

Lawmakers plan a zoning ban on private detention sites to set guardrails despite limited authority over federal facilities.

Overview

  • County Executive Kathy Klausmeier says the U.S. General Services Administration leased space at 201 International Circle, prompting a Tuesday emergency council session to consider safeguards.
  • Councilman Julian Jones will introduce emergency legislation to bar permits for private detention centers, with Councilmen Izzy Patoka and Pat Young backing the bill.
  • County officials say the intended use of the site is unknown, though Wired reported the space was marked for ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.
  • Baltimore County records show a Jan. 20 change-of-occupancy filing for the address, which sits across from Hunt Valley Towne Center, according to WBAL sources.
  • A DHS spokesperson declined to confirm office locations and said ICE requires additional space, citing steep increases in threats against officers and a larger workforce.