On Sunday Feb. 9, Glenda Quintanilla, mother of three U.S. born children, was turned over to ICE by the Queen Anne’s County Detention Center. Her children are ages 8, 9 and 14.
Quintanilla’s whereabouts are unknown, and she is not currently listed in the ICE online locator. Quintanilla’s situation has become common since the Trump administration ramped up deportations in 2017–but some Maryland lawmakers aim to put ICE detention centers out of business in the state.
Hearings are scheduled in the House and Senate, Feb. 25 and 26, on the Dignity not Detention Act, a bill to ban new ICE detention centers and close current ones by the end of 2021, whether they be private or government operated.
“No one should profit from human misery,” said the bill’s lead sponsor in the House, Del. Vaughn Stewart, a Montgomery County Democrat. “The Dignity not Detention Act will keep ICE and its contractors out of Maryland, protect our immigrant communities, and make sure that no town, county, or corporation is profiting from family separation or incarceration. “
The bill would prohibit state and local government from “setting up a facility or participating in the continued operation of detention facilities.” It would also ban new contracts and the renewal of existing contracts.
The bill was in response to the Town of Sudlersville’s consideration of a private 600 capacity ICE facility last year. Resistance in the region eventually forced the town to abandon its efforts.
The bill has over 40 co-sponsors in the House and a dozen co-sponsors in the Senate.
All of the sponsors are Democrats and it is unlikely any Republicans will support the measure.
There are currently three ICE detention centers in Maryland: Worcester, Frederick and Howard and counties.
Attempts to locate Quintanilla at any of these detention centers were unsuccessful. ICE personnel refused to comment on this story.
Beryl Smtih says
This is absolutely a terrible blot on our society and morality. Where is the compassion? Where is the understanding? I would ask those who do not support this bill to think long and hard about how they would feel if it were them that were being taken away from family and home leaving young children to cope without a mother. For shame on us for allowing this to happen.