Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman has announced changes to the county’s relationship with ICE.

Notably, he has ended the county’s participation in the 287(g) program, but will continue a separate ICE detainee contract for humanitarian reasons, with plans to use a portion of the revenue from that contract to fund detainee legal aid in immigration hearings.

The Baltimore Sun reports on the cancelled 287(g) program and the separate detainee contract:

The 287(g) program allows detention center officers to screen inmates and send immigration status information to U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement.

…

The detainment deal with ICE pays the county in exchange of holding up to 130 detainees at the correctional center in Glen Burnie. ICE pays $118 a day per detainee with a guaranteed $1.7 million.

The money is placed into the county general fund, and some of it will be used to pay for detainee legal representation in immigration hearings.

The article notes Pittman’s assurance that the county will continue to cooperate with ICE, which has federal powers over immigration enforcement. It also explains that ending of the 287(g) program will not result in violent criminals being released as they would still have to serve time if convicted.

Read The Baltimore Sun to learn more.