By MDBayNews Staff
In today’s political climate, apparently, even selling office furniture can trigger outrage.
A Baltimore-based company that has quietly served government clients for decades is now being publicly criticized—not for misconduct, not for fraud, not for violating any law—but simply for doing business with the federal government.
The target this week is Price Modern, a Baltimore furniture dealer with more than a century of history in Maryland.
Its offense?
Winning a federal contract.
Specifically, the company secured a $25.8 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security to supply office furniture for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices across the country.
In a normal world, this would be called a successful American business providing goods to a government agency.
In today’s hyper-politicized activist culture, it has become the latest excuse for outrage.
The Activist Outrage Machine
According to reporting, a Fells Point resident named Amalia Delony contacted the company to complain about the contract.
Others soon followed, calling the company to express their displeasure that a Baltimore business would dare provide office furniture to an immigration enforcement agency.
That’s right.
The new activist tactic in Maryland is apparently calling small and mid-sized businesses to shame them for selling desks and chairs.
Not deportations.
Not enforcement operations.
Desks.
And chairs.
And filing cabinets.
This is the level of political discourse that now passes for activism in parts of Baltimore.
A Company That Has Worked With DHS for 14 Years
Price Modern president Brent Matthews responded calmly and professionally.
In a statement, Matthews explained the obvious:
The company has maintained a blanket purchase agreement with the Department of Homeland Security for 14 years, dating back to the Obama administration.
The firm has operated through seven presidential administrations and has never been involved in policy decisions.
They simply provide office furniture and workspace design services.
In other words:
They run a business.
Matthews also noted that federal contracting is an important part of sustaining the company and supporting its employees.
This is how thousands of American businesses operate.
Construction firms build federal facilities.
Technology companies supply federal agencies.
Manufacturers produce equipment used by federal departments.
Furniture companies provide desks and chairs.
None of this is controversial—unless activists decide it should be.
The New Political Target: Businesses
What makes this episode particularly telling is how the target of activist anger has shifted.
In previous eras, activists protested government policy.
Today, increasingly, they target private businesses that merely sell products to government agencies they dislike.
The logic appears to be:
If activists cannot stop federal policy, they will pressure private companies to refuse service to the government itself.
That is not political debate.
That is economic intimidation.
And it is becoming disturbingly common.
Across the country, activists have begun pressuring companies over everything from law enforcement contracts to energy infrastructure to immigration enforcement.
The strategy is simple:
Name, shame, and bully businesses until they comply with activist politics.
The Hypocrisy of Selective Outrage
The criticism also raises an obvious question.
Would these same activists be outraged if Price Modern were supplying furniture to a different federal agency?
Would they call the company if the contract were for:
- The Department of Education
- The Environmental Protection Agency
- A federal courthouse
- A congressional office building
Of course not.
The outrage is not about government contracting.
It is about immigration enforcement.
And the activists know that targeting a local business is easier than confronting the federal government directly.
The Reality: ICE Exists Whether Activists Like It or Not
Here is the uncomfortable truth activists often ignore.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency created by Congress.
Its mission is to enforce immigration law.
It operates under presidents of both political parties.
It existed under:
- George W. Bush
- Barack Obama
- Donald Trump
- Joe Biden
No amount of phone calls to a Baltimore furniture dealer will change that reality.
ICE will continue to operate.
Federal offices will continue to need furniture.
And companies like Price Modern will continue to supply it.
A Dangerous Precedent for Business
What should worry Marylanders is the precedent this type of activism sets.
If businesses are attacked for providing goods to ICE today, what comes next?
Will companies be pressured for selling equipment to police departments?
For building detention facilities?
For manufacturing law enforcement vehicles?
For providing software to federal agencies?
Once activists decide that businesses must pass political purity tests before accepting contracts, no industry is safe.
This is not how a healthy economy works.
Businesses should not have to navigate ideological loyalty tests simply to sell products.
Maryland’s Growing Anti-Business Climate
Maryland already struggles with an anti-business reputation.
High taxes, heavy regulation, and a hostile political environment have driven companies out of the state for years.
Now the culture of public shaming and activist pressure is adding another layer of uncertainty.
Why would businesses want to operate in a state where winning a government contract can trigger harassment campaigns?
The message being sent is clear:
If your work intersects with a politically controversial issue, you may become the next target.
That is not good for Maryland’s economy.
And it is not good for the workers whose livelihoods depend on these companies.
A Company Doing Its Job
Price Modern’s response to the controversy has been notably restrained.
The company did not issue political counterattacks.
It did not insult critics.
It simply stated the facts.
They have served federal clients for years.
They do not make policy.
They provide furniture.
That is it.
In a rational environment, this would not be controversial.
But in today’s outrage economy, even ordinary business operations can become a political flashpoint.
The Bigger Question
The real story here is not the contract.
It is the mindset behind the backlash.
Why are activists targeting a century-old Baltimore business for selling furniture?
Why are private companies expected to enforce political agendas that elected officials themselves debate?
And why is shaming businesses becoming an acceptable substitute for actual policy debate?
Those questions say far more about the current political climate than any office furniture contract ever could.
Keep MDBayNews Reporting Free
MDBayNews exists to help Marylanders understand decisions made by state and local leaders — especially when those decisions affect daily life, rights, and public services.
If this article helped clarify what’s happening or why it matters, reader support makes it possible to keep publishing clear, independent reporting like this.
Have a tip or documents to share?
We review submissions carefully and confidentially. Anonymous tips are welcome when appropriate.
Discover more from Maryland Bay News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.