The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Maryland and its Attorney General, Anthony Brown, alleging that the state’s sanctuary policies interfere with federal immigration enforcement.
The Justice Department claims that Maryland’s Community Trust Act restricts how much state and local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration authorities. According to the department, this policy has already resulted in negative operational consequences for federal immigration officials, including facilities refusing to assist in transferring illegal aliens to federal custody even when presented with routine detainers.
The DOJ asserts that sanctuary policies are unlawful under federal law and that Maryland’s actions put U.S. citizens at risk while being preempted by the Constitution’s supremacy clause. The Department of Justice has filed 20 lawsuits against other states with similar sanctuary policies, including Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, and New York.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s spokesperson, Rhyan Lake, said: “Maryland will work with the federal government when that coordination makes our people safer — but we will not let Donald Trump’s untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents deputize our law enforcement officers to do immigration work.” The governor did not sign the Community Trust Act into law, allowing it to take effect without his signature.
