The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today sent a letter calling for transparency from Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier regarding a memorandum of understanding (MOU) reportedly executed between Baltimore County and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to reports, the county affirmed that the agreement provides federal authorities notice when detainees or individuals with immigration warrants are released from county custody.
READ CAIR’S LETTER.
Yesterday, CAIR sponsored a rally in Baltimore County organized by community partners condemning the agreement.
SEE: Rally in Baltimore County slams Kathy Klausmeier over ICE agreement
CAIR’s remarks at the rally stated in part:
“In the Baltimore area, ICE has made more than 2,280 arrests in the first seven months of 2025 – already surpassing the entire total for 2024. These are not simply statistics. These numbers represent parents, colleagues, neighbors and children whose lives have been upended, whose daily routines have been disrupted, whose sense of safety has been shattered.
Right here in Baltimore County, County Executive Kathy Klausmeir has unliterally adopted a Memorandum of Understanding with ICE that makes our county even less safe for immigrant families. Let’s be clear: this is not about whether local law enforcement should make arrests for violent crime. It is about the role local government plays in federal immigration enforcement – and whether we will choose compassion over dehumanization, and trust over fear.”
CAIR has expressed concerns that the MOU may impose burdens or risk chilling effects on immigrant and Muslim communities and emphasizes the need for clarity about how the agreement was negotiated, what legal authority the county is relying on, what its fiscal and operational implications are, and how county agencies will protect the constitutional rights and privacy of residents.
CAIR is calling on County Executive Klausmeier to:
- Publish the full text of the MOU, including any attachments or related policy memoranda, in a publicly accessible format.
- Hold a public forum with community stakeholders—including faith leaders, immigrant advocacy organizations, and civil rights groups—to explain how the MOU is being implemented and to receive community input on safeguarding residents’ rights.
- Work with the County Council to propose and adopt clear guardrails and policies limiting the scope of local-federal immigration collaboration, consistent with Maryland law, community safety, and civil-rights protections.
The civil rights group’s position is that local government must operate with maximum transparency when entering arrangements that impact immigration enforcement and civil rights. Baltimore County residents deserve clear information about how county custody, detention, release, and federal immigration enforcement interact. Without robust oversight and transparency, such agreements risk further eroding trust between community and law enforcement and undermining public safety by discouraging cooperation with local authorities.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com