Latest news with #MarylandValuesAct
CBS News
08-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland won't prohibit local law enforcement from partnering with ICE
Maryland lawmakers failed to agree on a measure that would prohibit law enforcement from partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before the end of the legislative session Monday. In March, state lawmakers proposed the Maryland Values Act, a bill to prevent 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement agencies and ICE. The proposal comes amid a crackdown on illegal immigration by the Trump administration. Those federal immigration changes had a significant impact on Maryland. While the initially proposed bill included the prohibition of 287(g) partnerships, the version of the bill passed Monday does not make any changes to 287(g) policies 287(g) agreements , 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. Deputized officers are trained to interview individuals to determine their immigration status, access, and input data into DHS databases, issue immigration detainers to hold individuals until ICE takes custody, serve administrative warrants for removable individuals and issue Notices to Appear (NTAs), initiate removal proceedings. Maryland's federal immigration crackdown prompted concerns about the safety of immigrants in Maryland. That concern began following President Trump's recent revocation of policies that previously prohibited immigration enforcement at schools, places of worship, and other sensitive locations. In response, Maryland lawmakers proposed protective legislation , including the Maryland Values Act, Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, and the Maryland Data Privacy Act, which aimed to restrict Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and limit access to certain information. The proposed legislation came amid protests against reported conditions in ICE detention facilities and arguments from immigration advocacy organizations like CASA , who said the Trump administration's policies created fear within Maryland's immigrant communities. Maryland, joined 11 other states in a lawsuit challenging Mr. Trump's order, alleging that the U.S. Constitution prevents the federal government from commandeering states to enforce federal laws.
Washington Post
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Immigrant advocates rally for Md. bill to ban formal partnerships with ICE
With only days left to get their legislative agenda passed by they Maryland General Assembly, immigrants and advocates Tuesday morning staged a stakeout at the statehouse in Annapolis, searching for lawmakers. 'Yes We Can!' they chanted in Spanish and French, holding signs that declared 'Immigrants Make America Great' and 'MARYLAND NOT MAGA.' Then, one of their targets — Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery County) — walked by, and together they yelled: 'Pass the bill!' The bill in question, the Maryland Values Act, would ban counties in the state from entering into collaborative agreements with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement that make it easier for the agency to arrest and deport people it says are in the country illegally. Those programs, known as 287(g) partnerships, have more than doubled in popularity since President Donald Trump's inauguration in January, according to an ICE database. Four of those partnerships were recently signed in Maryland, bringing the state's total number of participating counties to seven. While the House of Delegates passed the bill last month, the legislation has stalled in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Senate lawmakers heard arguments on the bill for the first time last week. The committee's chairman, Sen. Will Smith (D-Montgomery) said he was in favor of ending 287(g) agreements, but has yet to schedule a vote on the proposal. At the rally Tuesday morning, one woman called directly on Senate President Bill Ferguson to support the Maryland Values Act. A resident of his legislative district in Baltimore City, the woman said she worries that her husband won't come home one day. He works construction in counties that have 287(g) partnerships with ICE, she said. 'History will judge us for how we respond to this moment,' said Glenda, whom The Post is identifying only by first name. 'I hope that I can look back and say that my Senator and the leaders of this General Assembly stood on the right side of history.' While CASA has called for the General Assembly 'clean' bill that does not include any mandated cooperation with ICE, the House of Delegates took a more moderate approach. The Maryland Values Act, sponsored by Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George's) would ban formal 287(g) partnerships while mandating a different kind of cooperation with ICE. Under the House proposal, Maryland officials at local jails and state prisons would be required to notify ICE when undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of certain crimes are about to be released. 'We have seven days to make this happen, y'all,' Williams said at the rally. 'We need the Senate to act now.' Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery County), the chair of the Legislative Black Caucus and an immigrant from Jamaica, said the 'clock is ticking' and that 'every day we wait is another day that our immigrant communities are at risk.' 'I've got bad news and I've got some good news. The bad news is that in the state of Maryland we cannot control Trump's immigration policies,' Wilkins told the demonstrators at the rally. 'But guess what? Here in the state of Maryland, we can do our part to protect our communities. And that includes ending the 287(g) agreements that are taking place all across our state.' Other speakers included Steuart Pittman, county executive of Anne Arundel County, where 287(g) are already banned, and Frederick City Council President Katie Nash, whose county sheriff's office has the longest standing 287(g) partnership in the nation. Maryland has a Democratic supermajority, she said, and should use that political power to push the Maryland Values Act across the finish line. When two members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee walked by the rally on their way to the statehouse, attendees called out for their support. One man yelled at Waldstreicher, the committee's vice chair, to 'end 287(g)!' And Sen. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's) was beckoned into the rally throngs and offered the microphone to speak. He quoted scripture and spoke of 'justice.' 'Sometimes I have to remind my Democratic brothers and sisters back here that we are not Republicans,' Muse said. 'I'm with you on your issues,' he continued. 'I've take a lot of knocks and bumps. I might lose some bills because of this. But he who fights and runs and goes away lives to fight another day. I know I'm standing for what is right.'
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Some Maryland sheriffs oppose bill that would end local partnerships with ICE
Members of the law enforcement community in Maryland joined the Maryland Sheriffs' 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 , one of three bills in immigrant rights group CASA's legislative package, would prohibit new 287(g) agreements between local agencies and federal immigration authorities. According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson, three counties in Maryland have an agreement with immigration agencies -- Harford, Frederick, and Cecil counties. Frederick County Sheriff 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 287(g) 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 287 (g) 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," said Matt Elliston, Maryland's ICE deputy assistant director. Elliston 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," Jenkins said. "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 Maryland Values Act has already passed the House. The other two bills, a part of CASA's legislative package -- the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act and the Maryland Data Privacy Act -- have each passed the Senate. 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. Immigrant rights advocates and other supporters of the bill say 287(g) agreements extend ICE's reach, target those with low-level offenses, and heighten the risk of racial profiling. "No person is gonna call the police if that police officer is also an ICE agent. What we wanna do is make sure that people feel confident calling 911, making sure they're reaching out if they're victims of crime," said Cathryn Jackson, CASA's public policy director. "Also, just collaborating with police as a whole." Officials denied that 287(g) programs are discriminatory or targeting low-level criminal offenses. Elliston shared that in the last five years in Prince George's and Howard counties, 600 immigration detainer holds were lodged. Of those, 50 were for homicide, and 15 were for traffic-related offenses. 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.
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Some Maryland deputies oppose bill that would end local partnerships with ICE
Members of the law enforcement community in Maryland joined the Maryland Sheriffs' 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 , one of three bills in immigrant rights group CASA's legislative package, would prohibit new 287(g) agreements between local agencies and federal immigration authorities. According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson, three counties in Maryland have an agreement with immigration agencies -- Harford, Frederick, and Cecil counties. Frederick 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 287(g) 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," said Matt Elliston, Maryland's ICE deputy assistant director. Elliston 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," Jenkins said. "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 Maryland Values Act has already passed the House. The other two bills, a part of CASA's legislative package -- the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act and the Maryland Data Privacy Act -- have each passed the Senate. 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. Immigrant rights advocates and other supporters of the bill say 287(g) agreements extend ICE's reach, target those with low-level offenses, and heighten the risk of racial profiling. "No person is gonna call the police if that police officer is also an ICE agent. What we wanna do is make sure that people feel confident calling 911, making sure they're reaching out if they're victims of crime," said Cathryn Jackson, CASA's public policy director. "Also, just collaborating with police as a whole." Officials denied that 287(g) programs are discriminatory or targeting low-level criminal offenses. Elliston shared that in the last five years in Prince George's and Howard counties, 600 immigration detainer holds were lodged. Of those, 50 were for homicide, and 15 were for traffic-related offenses. 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.
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
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.
