Maryland is drawing a hard line on immigration enforcement with new legislation that changes how local police can work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gov. Wes Moore signed the law Tuesday in Annapolis, officially ending what are known as 287(g) agreements, which allowed local officers to carry out certain federal civil immigration duties, including checking the immigration status of someone booked into jail and starting the deportation process.
The new law now says that officers are not allowed to carry out those duties in the state of Maryland.
“In Maryland, we will not allow untrained, unqualified and unaccountable agents to deputize our brave local law enforcement officers,” Moore said before signing the bill. “We defend constitutional rights and we defend constitutional policing.”
Moore emphasized that the new law does not authorize the release of criminals, and Maryland will continue working with federal partners to hold violent offenders accountable. He pointed out that ICE is the largest law enforcement agency in the country, and said the state is drawing a clear line between federal and state responsibilities.
“ICE received more funding last year than our entire state budget, and we’ve seen the results of an unaccountable agency with seemingly unlimited resources,” Moore said.
Supporters of the legislation say it’s designed to strengthen trust between local police and the people they serve.
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said the bill sends a clear, positive message to the state’s immigrant communities.
“Maryland is stronger because of our immigrant communities,” Miller said. “We value you. We stand with you. And we’re committed, not just in words but in law, to keep every family safe.”
On the local level
Prince George’s County Council members are also considering several emergency acts concerning immigration enforcement, which were presented at Tuesday’s council meeting.
One bill protects libraries and schools from ICE operations. Another bill prohibits ICE officers from becoming local police officers.
There’s also an act prohibiting law enforcement officers in Prince George’s County from wearing masks.
Council Chair Krystal Oriadha said leaders tried to come up with robust policies that address concerns they’ve heard from residents.
“We have a large immigrant population that’s constantly growing. We have experienced firsthand in this county, people being kidnapped off of our streets and deported to countries that they have no connection to,” Oriadha said. “So this is not foreign to us here in Prince George’s County. And the reality is, we have to think about legislation and policies that are going to protect our community.”
She noted there are currently three people on the council who are first-generation American citizens. Her own father has dual citizenship with Kenya.
“The reality is that I’m scared for him to ever carry his Kenyan passport. I’m very conscious about him having his U.S. passport on him at all times,” she said. “That’s why it’s so real to us, and why it was so important for us to do something.”
Council members will take up the six bills and resolutions about immigration enforcement at its March 3 meeting. They will also have conversations with law enforcement and other agencies responsible for moving the legislation forward, but Oriadha is confident they’ll come to a compromise on each one.
“We have to keep our community safe,” she said. “There’s a war on our immigrant population, and I believe every leader in Prince George’s County is on the right side of history on this.”
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