ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Governor Wes Moore signed an executive order Friday creating a statewide task force aimed at protecting immigrant Marylanders from fraud, exploitation, and discrimination.
According to the governor's office, the Maryland Immigrant Rights Protection Task Force will operate for 12 months and bring together state agencies, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Comptroller, and other state leaders to coordinate efforts addressing issues facing immigrant communities across the state.
The administration says immigrants make up about 17% of Maryland's population and nearly 22% of the state's workforce. Many immigrant residents continue to face challenges involving legal services, employment, and housing, according to the governor.
"Our immigrant communities contribute to the greatness of Maryland," Moore said in a statement. "I have made it clear that we will not stand by while bad actors prey on immigrants in our communities."
Moore’s office says the task force is the first of its kind at the state level and comes amid concerns about increasingly sophisticated scams targeting immigrant communities. The group will focus on identifying gaps in protections, improving coordination among state agencies, and developing recommendations to prevent fraud and exploitation.
“Immigrant communities are particularly vulnerable to wage theft, housing scams, and workplace abuse in the current political climate,” said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. “This Task Force brings State government together to ensure immigrant Marylanders have access to the services they need, protection they deserve, and the rights they are owed.”
The executive order, signed June 5, follows remarks Moore made during his State of the State address earlier this year, when he called for stronger efforts to address fraud and abuse targeting immigrant Marylanders.
In February, Moore signed legislation ending formal partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and recently allowed additional immigration-related protections to become law without his signature. Numerous law enforcement organizations, including every sheriff’s office on the Eastern Shore, recently launched a federal lawsuit challenging those laws.
The new Maryland Immigrant Rights Protection Task Force is expected to issue recommendations after completing its year-long review.
