Justice Department sues Maryland over immigration policies

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice is suing Maryland and State Attorney General Anthony Brown, alleging the state’s “sanctuary” policies hinder the enforcement of federal immigration laws. 

The lawsuit claims that Maryland’s sanctuary policies are illegal under federal law and that the state’s “refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities” has had negative consequences for immigration law enforcement officials. 

What we know:

According to the lawsuit, the state’s refusal to cooperate has led to facilities refusing to help transfer immigrants to federal custody. 

Under the direction of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the DOJ’s Civil Division will identify state and local laws, policies and practices that violate federal laws or impede federal operations. 

“When sanctuary jurisdictions enact laws to shield [undocumented immigrants] from federal law enforcement, it is not merely federal law that is violated, but the voices of everyday American voters silenced,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.

The lawsuit cites Maryland’s Community Trust Act, a law that went into effect in May, which prevents local law enforcement from holding an individual without a warrant on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There is an exception for those who commit felonies or sex offenses. 

What they’re saying:

The Community Trust Act law sparked pushback from local law enforcement leaders across the state, with 17 of Maryland’s 24 sheriffs suing, and saying the law “undermines public safety and restricts cooperation” between local and federal officials.

“Such blatant disregard for federal laws that have been on the books for decades is not merely a political disagreement or passive abstention; it is deliberate, disruptive action that jeopardizes the public safety for all Americans,” the DOJ lawsuit reads. “The Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution prohibits a state from obstructing Congress and the Executive in this manner.”