MARYLAND - The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has listed multiple Maryland counties and communities as “sanctuary jurisdictions,” including Talbot County and Queen Anne’s County.
According to the DHS website, sanctuary jurisdictions are districts that obstruct the enforcement of Federal immigration laws and “endanger the lives of Americans and Law Enforcement.” President Donald Trump issued an executive order that a list of these designated sanctuary jurisdictions be published. That order was signed on April 28 and the list was first published on May 29.
The executive order also directs Federal departments to identify and suspend or terminate federal funding to the jurisdictions labeled as and remain classified as sanctuary jurisdictions. DHS says each sanctuary jurisdiction will receive a formal notice of its non-compliance with Federal statutes and that the Federal Government will demand they review and revise their policies to avoid the loss of Federal funding.
The Trump Administration’s criteria for being listed as a sanctuary jurisdiction include the level of compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions, and legal protections for illegal aliens, according to the DHS website.
Also listed along with Queen Anne’s and Talbot on Maryland’s sanctuary jurisdictions are Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties. The state as a whole, according to DHS, is a self-identified sanctuary jurisdiction.
In a statement to WBOC, Talbot County officials said they were aware of DHS labeling them as a sanctuary jurisdiction but had not received any prior notice the County was in noncompliance with federal immigration laws.
“We have, and will continue to, follow all applicable federal laws and have not taken any deliberate actions to obstruct their enforcement,” Talbot officials said in a statement. “There have been no recent changes to our policies or practices regarding immigration. We remain committed to serving all members of our community while upholding the rule of law. We welcome further information and guidance from the federal government so we can address any pertinent issues.”
Talbot County leaders also say they’re scratching their heads over the designation and are unsure why the county has been flagged.
"We have not changed our policies. We do follow all applicable federal laws," said Pete Lesher, vice president of the Talbot County Council.
Lesher said the news came as a surprise Friday morning — and brought concern over what it could mean for future funding, especially for projects like the airport and local housing efforts.
“It potentially puts all of our federal grant funding at risk,” Lesher said.
Queen Anne's County officials also said they were aware of the designation and called it a false accusation.
"This characterization is wholly inaccurate and misrepresents the policies and actions of Queen Anne's County Government," the Board of County Commissioners wrote. "Queen Anne's County has never adopted or endorsed sanctuary policies, nor have we enacted any ordinances or resolutions that would shield individuals in violation of federal immigration law. At no time has the County directed, encouraged, or permitted employees to contravene federal immigration laws."
Queen Anne's County Commissioners said they had issued a formal letter to the America First Legal Foundation outlining how the County had not violated any federal immigration law and demanding the claims be removed.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore called the designation of Maryland as a whole and the list of sanctuary jurisdictions “meaningless” and “performative.”
“As Governor, I have no higher priority than the safety of our people,” Moore said in a statement. “Maryland’s law enforcement personnel work tirelessly, in partnership with the federal government, to root out violent crime in our state. When we have a violent offender in our custody, we remove them from our communities—regardless of any arbitrary list created by the Trump Administration.”
As for what’s next for Talbot county and its residents, immigration attorney Steven Planzer predicts a stronger law enforcement presence.
"But what it really means is probably there's going to be more aggressive immigration enforcement in those counties," said Planzer, who represents several clients in Talbot County.
Planzer added that he was shocked by the news and unaware of any local policy obstructing federal immigration efforts.
"You know, be aware of their rights. And just remain vigilant in terms of, you know, getting the legal process going as soon as possible," Planzer advised undocumented residents.
In Delaware, the town of Camden is also labeled as a sanctuary jurisdiction. Camden was briefly listed as an official partner of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the 287(g) program earlier this month. The Camden Police Chief told WBOC they withdrew from the partnership following community push back.
