A sea of green-wearing advocates shored in front of Howard County’s packed government chambers this afternoon, chanting, "This is what democracy looks like" and singing Woody Guthrie’s, "This Land is your Land" in the packed halls as local lawmakers prepared to vote tonight on a bill that would make Howard County a sanctuary for undocumented residents.
Opponent’s voices, including several vocal Asian Americans county residents, interjected the singing crowd, shouting "law breakers" and "Donald Trump."
Forty-eight minutes before the council’s meeting to vote, the room was packed with an even spread of supporters and opponents intermingled in a spotty array of green and red.
Trump’s immigration executive orders gave new life to the crowd of more than 500 and an already impassioned debate that drew impassioned testimony over the last several weeks.
Democratic elected officials addressed supporters in a rally before the vote.
Oakland Mills High School student Gavin Kohn organized the rally in support of the sanctuary designation, which he said he was pushing to create sanctuary policies in Howard County Public Schools days before Ball introduced the proposal.
"The opposition has been scary," Kohn said. "We need to go farther to protect other people’s rights, now more than ever."
Register of Wills Byron Macfarlane and other leaders said the label was an opportunity to show Howard County is a welcoming place for immigrants — undocumented or documented.
"It’s time to lead," said Macfarlane.
Del. Clarence Lam, a Democrat who supports the bill, lamented the Asian American community’s support of the bill, which Lam said opponents were using to divide the immigrant community.
"There were members of my community who were divided," Lam said, adding that every day of a presidency under Trump was "a new day of recklessness."
Introduced by Democratic council members Calvin Ball and Jen Terrasa, the bill would label Howard County as a sanctuary. Ball and Terrasa introduced the proposal as a direct response to Trump, who they say galvanized support for xenophobia, Islamophobia and racism and created a climate of fear for undocumented immigrants.
The bill largely codifies existing policies.
Howard County police do not enforce federal immigration law, do not make inquiries into individual’s citizenship status and treat undocumented immigrants the same as other individuals.
Howard County Police Chief Gary Gardner is opposed to the label, which he said could compromise federal funding and limit information-sharing integral to ensuring community safety.
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman has vowed to veto the bill if it passes the council. The bill needs three votes to pass and four to override the veto.
More than 200 supporters converged in front of the county’s main government offices holding handmade signs and sturdy "Yes" signs — a marked shift from public hearings where opponents with professional "No" signs took a vocal stake against the bill.
Ball also addressed the crowd at the rally before the vote.
"I’m used to taking a little bit of heat from red shirts," Ball said, referring to the opponents who identify themselves by wearing red.
Addressing opponents’ concerns the label would draw undocumented immigrants, Ball said the label of a sanctuary would make the county "a beacon for light for justice and fairness and equality."
The council is scheduled to vote on the proposal at its 7 p.m. tonight.
HiTails is a Howard County library program that allows children to read and interact with animals at the Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center. (Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun video)
HiTails is a Howard County library program that allows children to read and interact with animals at the Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center. (Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun video)
Howard County Council to consider sanctuary bill. (WJZ)
Howard County Council to consider sanctuary bill. (WJZ)
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