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The Trump administration on Thursday said Maryland and several of its counties and cities are sanctuary jurisdictions for immigrants, a designation that will bring a warning from federal officials along with a vague threat of the loss of unspecified federal funds.
The Maryland governments were among more than 500 jurisdictions nationwide, including states and local governments, labeled sanctuary jurisdictions by the Department of Homeland Security, in response to an April 28 executive order by President Donald Trump (R).
Sanctuary jurisdictions come in many forms, but they are generally governments with policies that limit the ability of local authorities to cooperate with federal immigration agencies. Supporters say the policies make local communities safer by increasing immigrant trust in local police agencies and making them more willing to work with police.
But Trump, in his executive order, said sanctuary policies “violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws” in a “lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law.” The order directs the attorney general and the secretary of Homeland Security to contact jurisdictions on the list, and it further requires federal agency heads to identify grants, contracts and other funds that could be withheld from the jurisdictions “as appropriate.”
The Homeland Security list tagged the state of Maryland, eight counties and 10 municipalities. The department said it determined whether a government was a sanctuary jurisdiction “by factors like compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions, and legal protections for illegal aliens.”
The department labeled Maryland as a “Self-Identification as a State Sanctuary Jurisdiction,” but doesn’t summarize what that entails.
“DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens,” the department’s statement said.
Despite the administration’s repeated claim that sanctuary policies violate federal law or obstruct federal immigration enforcement, the policies do neither. And local officials were already pushing back Thursday against threats from federal officials.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) released a statement Thursday that mentions the possibility of suing the administration, after his city was listed as a sanctuary jurisdiction.
“To be clear: by definition, Baltimore is not a sanctuary city, because we do not have jurisdiction over our jails. We follow our limited obligations as defined under federal immigration law,” Scott said.
“But we are a welcoming city, and we make no apologies for that,” his statement said. “We are better because of our immigrant neighbors, and we are not about to sell them out to this administration.”
Six of the 10 Maryland municipalities the department designated as sanctuary cities are in Prince George’s County: the towns of Cheverly and Edmonston, and the cities of College Park, Greenbelt, Hyattsville and Mount Rainier.
Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George’s), chair of the Legislative Latino Caucus, said in a text message Thursday night that labels such as “sanctuary jurisdiction” oversimplify work done to serve and protect residents.
“Maryland, Prince George’s County and our municipalities have long embraced policies that create welcoming, inclusive communities where all residents – regardless of immigration status – can live with dignity and safety,” Martinez said. “These local approaches are rooted in public trust, safety and effective governance, not political defiance.”
In addition to Baltimore City, the other Maryland cities on the list are Annapolis in Anne Arundel County, and Rockville and Takoma Park in Montgomery County. Maryland counties on the DHS list were Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s and Talbot.
Maryland does offer limited benefits to undocumented immigrants in the state, including the ability to get a driver’s license and to be able to buy health insurance in the state marketplace under some circumstances. But state lawmakers also approved a watered-down version of an immigration bill last month, in the final minutes of the 2025 legislative session,
That bill was originally going to prohibit so-called 287(g) agreements, which allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to delegate some federal enforcement authorities to local officers. But the Senate stripped that language out and the House relented. The final version of the bill, which becomes law Sunday, gives limited protection against immigration actions in “sensitive locations,” such as churches, schools or hospitals.
