Some Maryland sheriff's deputies oppose house bill that would end local partnerships with ICE
Members of the law enforcement community in Maryland joined the Maryland Sheriff's Association Thursday afternoon, rallying against a proposed bill that would limit state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
Most notably, the
Maryland Values Act
would prohibit new 287(g) agreements between local agencies and federal immigration authorities.
Fredrick County Sheriff's Deputy Chuck Jenkins called the bill a "terrible and dangerous piece of legislation." Jenkins said it will encourage criminals who have illegally entered the United States to establish themselves in Maryland.
Jenkins said Frederick County has the oldest 287g program in the history of the United States.
"Since 2008, we've removed 1,795 criminals - many of them dangerous felons. We've removed them because of our partnership with ICE and the 287g program," Jenkins said.
Opponents of the Maryland value act say the measure would release dangerous criminals back into the community, since it would require existing 287(g) agreements to be terminated by July 1, 2025.
"I don't think there's anyone who would argue that making sure criminals do not get released back into the community is not a public safety issue," Matt Ellison, Maryland's ICE deputy assistant director, said.
Ellison added said "sanctuary" communities, or jurisdictions that limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal law enforcement in immigration cases, are dangerous.
Officials in sanctuary jurisdictions such as San Francisco have defended the protections for immigrants, saying that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes.
Some supporters of sanctuary laws have also said that threatening undocumented immigrants with deportation erodes the trust between the community and law enforcement.
Deputy Jenkins said it's an argument he said he disagrees with and hears "all the time".
"The distrust of law enforcement comes with the people from the countries they're coming from. They can't trust law enforcement in the countries where they were born and raised. The real fear is not law enforcement, the real fear in these communities are the criminals that are in these communities."
The 287(g) program, named after Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deputize selected state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law.
According to the ICE website
, the 287(g) program operates in three models. The Jail Enforcement Model (JEM) allows local officers to identify and process removable aliens with criminal charges, while the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program permits officers to serve administrative warrants on aliens in their jails. The Task Force Model (TFM) serves as a "force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties," the ICE website reads.
Since entering office, President Trump has prioritized a crackdown on illegal immigration.
On January 20, Mr. Trump issued an executive order, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion" requiring ICE "to authorize State and local law enforcement officials, as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines are qualified and appropriate, under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the maximum extent permitted by law."
In a memo issued a day later, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove directed prosecutors and law enforcement to consider charging state and local officials who attempt to impede Mr. Trump's immigration efforts.
Maryland, along with 11 other states,
joined a lawsuit
challenging Mr. Trump's order, alleging that the U.S. Constitution prevents the federal government from commandeering states to enforce federal laws.
Mr. Trump's immigration crackdown has had a significant impact on Marylanders. Members of immigrant communities
expressed fear
of mass deportations after the president revoked a policy that prohibited immigration arrests near schools, places of worship, and other sensitive locations.
Maryland lawmakers and immigration advocates have shown support for
several proposed bills
to protect immigrants, including the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act and the Maryland Data Privacy Act, which aim to limit ICE's access to certain locations and information.
Immigration advocacy groups like CASA have been
pushing for legislation
to protect immigrant communities and protesting against what they claim are inhumane conditions in ICE detention facilities.
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