WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. -- A proposal in the Maryland General Assembly could prevent people who work for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration from later joining local law enforcement agencies in the state.
Dubbed the "ICE Breaker Act of 2026", the legislation is sponsored by Delegate Adrian Boafo (D - District 23). The proposed bill has not yet been officially filed, but it's already drumming up strong opinions from local law enforcement leaders on the Lower Shore.
Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli called the proposal a "slippery slope," arguing that the state would essentially be punishing people for gaining federal law-enforcement experience.
"Tell me where that makes sense? Because I don't believe it does," said Crisafulli.
He added that agencies across the Lower Shore are already struggling with recruitment and retention, and believes the bill would only make that challenge worse.
"If their background is clean, and they have prior experience, and they would be a good, viable candidate for law enforcement, what's the purpose?" questioned Crisafulli.
Supporters of the proposal say the issue centers on trust.
Lana Foley with Crabs on the Shore, a progressive organization on Delmarva, sent the following statement on Monday.
"If you want residents to trust the police in the future, I believe this is an important issue.
We want to “Back the Blue.”
We want people serving our communities to be people who are willing to follow guidelines that keep everyone safe and ensure our tax dollars are used for crime fighting, not lawsuits caused by officers who disregard those guidelines.
Police wear badges, their uniforms and cars indicate the areas they represent, they don’t have to wear face coverings. They have the ability to do this because most of them are following the law and the standards of the police profession.
I support and appreciate the police, and I do not like that this issue is being used to suggest it has anything to do with law enforcement as a whole. ICE is not new. Blatant disregard for civil or constitutional rights is.
We want to make sure that people who believe they are above the law, and who would otherwise be considered criminals, are held responsible for making that choice in the future."
Monica Brooks, President of the Wicomico County NAACP, weighed in as well:
“The NAACP has long called for strong action to check abuses by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to uphold the constitutional rights of all people. Excessive force, racial profiling, and a lack of transparency in immigration enforcement erode civil liberties and public trust.
We support the ICE Breaker Act of 2026 because it prioritizes accountability and protects communities from law-enforcement practices rooted in intimidation rather than service. Some of the imagery and tactics associated with ICE — including masked operations — have drawn serious concern from civil rights advocates, who note that such secrecy echoes historically harmful forms of policing used to frighten communities, including tactics associated with the KKK.
We urge lawmakers to shore up this legislation with the legal and policy research necessary to ensure it is both effective and able to pass during this session.
Maryland’s law enforcement should reflect our shared values of dignity, fairness, and justice — and this bill moves us in that direction.”
Since the bill has not been formally introduced, there are no updates at this time on where it stands in Maryland's legislative process.