ANNAPOLIS, Md. - All of Maryland’s Eastern Shore sheriffs are now part of a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s newly passed immigration enforcement restrictions, escalating a fight that has drawn sharp reaction from local law enforcement for months.
The lawsuit, filed on May 26 in U.S. District Court, includes the sheriffs of Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester counties, alongside sheriffs from several other Maryland counties and the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association. The suit names Governor Wes Moore, Attorney General Anthony Brown and multiple state agencies as defendants.
According to the complaint, the sheriffs are challenging the state’s new Community Trust Act and a separate law banning 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In the filing, the sheriffs argue the laws interfere with communication and cooperation with federal immigration authorities and could jeopardize public safety. The lawsuit further claims the laws violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution by restricting local agencies from assisting with federal immigration enforcement.
As WBOC has previously reported, local sheriffs argued the measures would make it harder for law enforcement to cooperate with ICE and could impact public safety efforts across Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
“The Act now forces Plaintiffs into an impossible and unconstitutional position,” the suit reads. “The Act prohibits Plaintiffs and their deputies and correctional staff from honoring federal immigration detainers, notifying federal authorities that a removable alien is in custody, transferring custody to [ICE], or providing information obtained in the course of official duties—unless a narrow “judicial warrant” is presented, a requirement that expressly excludes administrative warrants issued by [DHS] or the [DOJ]. These prohibitions apply even to individuals convicted of serious felonies, sex offenses, or other crimes for which federal law mandates detention and removal.”
The sheriffs involved in the lawsuit are asking a federal judge to block enforcement of the laws.
Governor Moore did not sign the Community Trust Act during a signing event on Tuesday, but had previously said it would let it become law without his signature, despite calls from local sheriffs and county leaders to veto the bill.
