The Prince George’s County Council approved legislation Tuesday that would make it easier for family members of those detained by ICE to retrieve their cars from impound lots.
The bill was introduced by Eric Olson, vice chair of the council in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
“When people are detained by ICE, often it’s out of cars and or other vehicles, and then those vehicles just get abandoned by the side of the road,” Olson said.
In instances where a vehicle is considered “abandoned” it gets brought to an impound lot. Currently, only the vehicle’s registered owner, or someone authorized by the owner with a signed and notarized letter, can retrieve the car.
“This measure ensures that someone who can prove that they live at that house or as a family member can access that vehicle,” Olson said. “In the past, it was only the person who’s on the title.”
This means a family can have their car back, and for many families, a car is a lifeline for getting to work, school or medical treatments.
The new law also requires police to notify a vehicle’s registered owner that a car has been impounded and where it is, even if that owner is in custody.
The Immigrant Rights Collective said that after their drivers were apprehended by ICE there were more than 50 cars left abandoned on the streets of Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, as reported by WTOP’s partners at Maryland Matters.
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