Human Rights & Equity

Luminus Network for New Americans empowers immigrants and their families with legal support to achieve their goals. They also provide Know Your Rights trainings and resources, as well as guidance on understanding immigration enforcement documents. Tel: 410-992-1923.

Howard County Public School System has collated information and resources to support immigrant students and families, as well as guidance on school policies that affirm every student’s right to receive the educational support they need from their public school system. Tel: 410-313-6600.

Columbia Community Care provides Howard County with food and community assistance, empowering individuals with access to essential resources and opportunities. No identification or documentation is required to access hunger relief services. Tel: 443-583-4479.

Community Action Council of Howard County provides early childhood education, energy assistance, food assistance, housing assistance, and weatherization assistance to guide families from crisis to stability. Tel: 410-313-6440.

Maryland Legal Aid provides a full range of free, civil legal services to financially eligible individuals. Their legal work helps to protect peoples’ basic needs and human rights. Anne Arundel/Howard Office: 410-972-2700.

Office of the Local Children’s Board The Howard County Local Children's Board is comprised of public and private members working collaboratively to ensure a strong continuum of services for families and children in our community, ensuring children grow up healthy, secure, and successful. Tel: 410-313-6400.

Howard County Immigrant Behavioral Health Services Program assists people who are foreign-born, live in Howard County, are low-income and are uninsured. Tel: 410-313-6202.

Howard County Library System Walk-in passport service available at East Columbia and Glenwood branches (no appointment needed). Project Literacy offers English classes in a supportive environment for English Language Learners of all levels, can help with requirements to become a U.S. citizen, and offers workforce preparation classes. East Columbia Branch: 410-313-7700. Glenwood Branch: 410-313-5577.

To submit a suggestion or recommendation for additional resources to be included on this list, please email ohreoutreach@howardcountymd.gov. 

Catholic Charities Baltimore welcomes recent immigrants with programs that help new neighbors integrate life in a new country. Tel: 667-600-2000.

The Esperanza Center is a comprehensive resource center in Baltimore City whose mission is to welcome immigrants by offering hope, compassionate services, and the power to improve their lives. Tel: 667-600-2900.

Just Neighbors, an affiliate of the Immigration Law & Justice Network, provides high-quality immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, asylees and refugees in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Tel: 703-979-1240.

Global Refuge Baltimore Welcome Center offers protection-centered and trauma-informed case management, and connections to essential community resources for recently immigrated individuals and families, refugees, asylees, and other humanitarian arrivals. Tel: 443-365-0472.

Maryland Immigrant Legal Assistance Project Run by the Maryland Pro Bono Resource Center, this project helps unaccompanied children and families gain access to critical legal assistance with their valid claims to remain in the United States. Tel: 410-837-9379.

CASA Maryland provides critical services to immigrant and working-class families, including citizenship, legal services, adult ESOL classes, tax services, and financial education. Baltimore Welcome Center: 410-732-7777.

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service removes barriers to justice through free civil legal help, community engagement, and advocacy for equitable laws. Tel: 410-547-6537.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland provides legal services to remedy and prevent constitutional and civil liberties violations, as well as immigrant rights resources and a tipline for civil rights violations in immigration enforcement or detention. Tel: 410-889-8555.

The Tahirih Justice Center is a national, nonprofit organization that serves women, girls, and all immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. Their whole-person approach provides each survivor with free legal support and social services to secure their rights and build stable lives. Baltimore Office: 410-999-1900.

Maryland Immigrant Rights Coalition MIRC’S mission is to coordinate and maximize existing resources in order to increase the availability and quality of pro bono and low-cost legal representation to low-income immigrants, to educate the community on immigration matters, and to advocate on behalf of Maryland immigrants.

Asylee Women Enterprise AWE supports asylum seekers, foreign-born survivors of human trafficking, and other forced migrants, as they rebuild their lives in Maryland with dignity and hope. Tel: 443-850-0627.

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights—formerly CAIR Coalition—engages in unwavering legal defense and strategic litigation for immigrant children and adults facing detention and deportation. For a loved one who is detained and in need of legal support in their immigration case, contact the Amica Center’s detention hotline. Tel: 202-331-3320.

To submit a suggestion or recommendation for additional resources to be included on this list, please email ohreoutreach@howardcountymd.gov. 

National Immigration Law Center The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is one of the leading advocacy organizations in the U.S. dedicated to advancing and defending the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones. Washington D.C. Office: 202-216-0261.

Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center APALRC combines community legal education, individual representation, and systemic advocacy to advance the civil and legal rights of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, including free assistance with completing citizenship applications. Tel: 202-706-7150.

To submit a suggestion or recommendation for additional resources to be included on this list, please email ohreoutreach@howardcountymd.gov. 

Immigrant Legal Resource Center The Immigrant Legal Resource Center provides a wide range of downloadable tools produced for diverse audiences, from experienced advocates to directly impacted community members seeking answers about the complex world of immigration law.

Immigrant Defense Project The Immigrant Defense Project supports communities and grassroots groups by providing valuable resources to defend their rights against ICE and during immigration proceedings, and by executing campaigns to keep loved ones home and families together.

United We Dream United We Dream provides resources on DACA, deportation defense, education justice, “undocuhealth” (informative toolkits on self and community health), and Know Your Rights.

To submit a suggestion or recommendation for additional resources to be included on this list, please email ohreoutreach@howardcountymd.gov. 

Any person can file a Complaint of Discrimination with the Investigations Unit if the incident of alleged discrimination occurred in Howard County.  The Complaint must be filed within 6 months (Employment, Public Accommodation, Finance and Law Enforcement) or within 1 year (Housing) of the alleged discrimination. In the case of Employment discrimination, the employer must have 5 or more employees.

The Community Outreach Unit increases the presence of the Office of Human Rights & Equity within the Howard County, Maryland community by creating opportunities for residents to affirm their humanity while protecting that of their neighbor's. The Outreach Unit accomplishes this by providing trainings and workshops, listening sessions, and events to government agencies, organizations, and community members around racial equity, social justice, and human relations. 

The Equity and Restorative Practices (ERP) Unit utilizes an equity-centered lens to infuse concepts of equity in the county’s service delivery, decision-making, and resource distributions. ERP seeks to ensure a shared organizational understanding of racial equity and social justice by supporting departments and staff for transformational change and operationalizing equitable practices, policies, and procedures that result in more fair and just outcomes.   

Click here to view Contest details for Human Rights contests, including:

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission Poster, Essay, and Oratory contest details and winners.
• Annual Living the Dream Award
• Howard County High School Food Drive Contest

See our annual reports, special reports and statements, articles, book reports, Culture Corner features, and Human Rights brochures.

SECTION 12.200 HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

It is sometimes difficult for the average person to know what laws,  regulations and policies affect residents of the county.  For the past few years  Howard County has worked to make those laws, regulations and policies more  readily available to the public, and this page is a continuation of that effort.

Howard County law prohibits discrimination in the following five areas:

Employment - Sec. 12.208
Housing - Sec. 12.207
Public  Accommodation - Sec. 12.210
Law Enforcement - Sec. 12.209
Finance  - Sec. 12.211

To view these laws, please click on the link below:

1. Click the following link: Howard County Code
2. Click Title 12 Health And Social Services.
3. Click Subtitle 2 Human Rights.

View the Rules of Procedure of the Human Rights Commission

Watch the Office of Human Rights & Equity's training sessions, webinars and events!

Howard County Government is seeking qualified applicants to fill vacancies on several OHRE commissions:

• College/Trade Student Candidates must be enrolled in college or trade school and reside in Howard County.

• Adult Candidates must be Howard County residents 18 years of age or older. 

• High School Candidates must be Howard County residents under the age of 19 years old and available to serve for a one-year term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

To submit your application or see more information about preparing documents and submission guidelines, visit:

https://www.howardcountymd.gov/boards-commissions

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) was established in 1969. It is comprised of 11 members and a non-voting student member, 18 years old or under. Commissioners must live in Howard County and represent the diversity of county residents. The duties and responsibilities of the Commission are prescribed by law and include recommending a civil rights policy to the County Executive and the County Council. This includes having the authority to conduct surveys and studies concerning civil liberties in order to promote equality in the community. In addition to hosting the annual HRC awards, they support OHRE outreach activities.

The Howard County Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission (MLK) was established by order of the Howard County Executive to encourage and coordinate appropriate ceremonies and activities honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Commissioners are appointed by the County Executive to serve an initial term of two years. Each year, the MLK celebration takes place on the third Sunday of January. The Day of Service takes place the next day on the third Monday of January. The Day of Service provides a variety of service opportunities throughout the community that is representative of Dr. King’s dedication to servant leadership.

The Howard County LGBTQ+ Workgroup was established on November 1, 2019. County Executive Calvin Ball signed an Executive Order to create an LGBTQ+ (Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+) Workgroup to promote the shared community values of diversity and civility. The Workgroup partnered with county agencies non-profit organizations, and other community groups to facilitate an environment of inclusion, communication, understanding, and respect throughout Howard County.

In October 2022 the County Executive and the County Council voted to establish the LGBTQIA+ Commission to continue the much needed work of equity, inclusion, communication, understanding, and respect for all gender and sexual identities. The purpose of this Commission is to advance policy and systemic change for all persons who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Queer, Non-binary, and who identify in other capacities along the LGBTQIA+ Spectrum. The Commission is made up of 17 voting members and will seek out 2 non-voting student members in the new year. They meet bi-monthly beginning on January 12, 2023.

The County Executive established La Alianza Latina as a workgroup during Hispanic Heritage Month in September of 2020. The goals of the workgroup were to promote diversity, civility, and address the concerns and struggles that Latino and immigrant communities experience. In October 2022, the County Executive and the County Council voted to establish La Alianza Latina Commission in order to continuing the work of advancing policy and systemic change for the uplift of Latino families, businesses, and residents. The Commission consists of 16 voting members and 2 student non-voting members. Each appointed member was appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the County Council. La Alianza Latina Commission meets bi-monthly beginning on January 24, 2023.

The Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Commission advises the Howard County Executive on policy initiatives and advocates on issues that affect the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Consisting of 18 members, in addition to the honorary chair, Maryland State Senator Clarence Lam; AAPI hosts public quarterly meetings and presents biannual reports. AAPI organizes cultural events and has informative discussions on emerging issues. It is with the hope that these conferences will foster stronger relationships between the AAPI and the community. The Commission is dedicated to creating a safe place where AAPI residents feel valued and heard in the community.