“I was at the Jail Board meeting as a member of the public but was turned away, along with several others,” said resident Ben Walters in an email to Potomac Local News. “Jail Board staff claimed there wasn’t enough room, yet I understand there were empty seats… I submitted written comments well in advance, but they were not made available at the meeting. And since I wasn’t allowed in, I also had no opportunity to present them verbally.”
Walters and others told Potomac Local News that he had hoped to raise concerns about the Board’s current position on Section 287(g) — a federal program that allows local jail officers to identify and refer suspected undocumented immigrants to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for potential removal.