Author: Luminus Intern Chloe Hong Growing up, Gwangbokjeol was a day I heard about but never fully appreciated. Over the years, however, I’ve come to realize the extent of its importance. It is much more than just a date on the calendar. Gwangbokjeol, or Korea’s National Liberation Day, is celebrated…

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Good evening, Council members. My name is Seema Agarwal-Harding, and I’m honored to testify tonight on behalf of the Luminus Network regarding our organization’s seat on the Howard County AAPI Commission. I bring 20+ years of international development experience—work with UNICEF, USAID, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank,…

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Thank you for the opportunity to testify in favor of HB923, the UNITE Act. The General Assembly has previously seen it fit to grant the equity courts of this state jurisdiction over motions for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). SIJS is an important immigration protection that applies to…

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Good evening, members of the Council. My name is Tina Horn, and I am the chief external affairs officer of the Luminus Network, a 45-year-old nonprofit Howard County institution that provides immigration legal services to our county’s and our region’s immigrant and refugee populations. For 25 years, I’ve had the…

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Thank you so much to everyone who showed up at Howard County’s George Howard Building Feb 2 in the cold to encourage our County Council to introduce legislation with emergency status to require “…amending the Howard County Building Code to provide that only a government agency is eligible to make…

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Do you need to know which books to consider as you study immigration? Need recommendations for small children? Check out these book lists: From our allies at Global Refuge From the Boston Public Library From Social Justice Books Backwater Books in old Ellicott City From their social…

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The Board of Directors of the Luminus Network is pleased to share that it has retained the services of Dr. Seema Agarwal-Harding to serve as Interim Executive Director while it conducts a search for Luminus’ new CEO. Dr. Agarwal-Harding has more than 30 years’ experience in leadership, organizational development, strategic…

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The 287(g) program lets Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) delegate immigration enforcement to local police, allowing them to investigate status and assist with immigrant detentions. In Maryland, as of July 2025, Allegany, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, St. Mary’s and Washington counties have 287(g) agreements. There are 3 different…

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Columbia MD – Jan 8, 2026 – The Luminus Network, the leading nonprofit provider of immigration legal services in central Maryland, today congratulates Gabriel Moreno, Esq., nominee for Delegate in Maryland’s District 13, who is transitioning from his role as Luminus CEO following his appointment being advanced to Governor Wes…

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Oral Testimony in Support of CR 223-2025 and CB 69-2025 Delivered on November 19, 2025, Howard County Hearing Update Dec 2, 2025: Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has announced the Howard County Council has approved his two pieces of legislation – Council Resolution 223-2025 and Council Bill 69-2025, to advance…

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