Maryland invokes 9/11 in fight against state sanctuary law

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, who is leading 17 of Maryland’s 24 counties in a lawsuit against the state’s sanctuary policies, told Congress this week that lawmakers in Annapolis have forgotten the lessons of Sept. 11, 2001, as the nation approaches the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

Mr. Gahler, whose county was the site of the 2023 murder of Rachel Morin and the 2022 murder of Kayla Hamilton — both killed by men living in the country illegally — testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee that Maryland’s restrictions on cooperation between local and federal law enforcement run counter to post-9/11 security practices. Asked by Rep. Brandon Gill, Texas Republican, why he considers the state’s sanctuary laws “pro-criminal,” Mr. Gahler said the legislature has ignored basic coordination principles.

“It’s stupidity at its best,” Mr. Gahler said, according to Fox News.

The law at the center of the dispute, the Community Trust Act, bars Maryland corrections and law enforcement officials from questioning immigration status or detaining suspects over civil immigration violations. It also prohibits notifying federal immigration authorities that a detainee is in custody unless a court order — rather than a standard ICE detainer — requires it. The act does carve out exceptions: corrections officers may still contact ICE about an individual for deportation purposes if that person is a convicted felon, a registered sex offender, or meets a handful of other narrow criteria. The measure built on an earlier Maryland ban on so-called 287(g) agreements, which had allowed formal partnerships between local police and ICE.

Mr. Gahler and his fellow plaintiffs argue in their suit that the restrictions can force deputies to release people they believe pose a danger rather than hand them over to federal custody. The Department of Justice has separately sued Maryland over the same law, arguing it violates the Constitution’s supremacy clause.

Gov. Wes Moore allowed the Community Trust Act to take effect without his signature earlier this year, saying it keeps local police focused on driving down violent crime.

“The Community Trust Act advances an important goal,” Mr. Moore said in a statement carried by Baltimore’s NPR affiliate, while acknowledging logistical concerns he said should be addressed through executive action or in next year’s legislative session.

The dispute is playing out as Mr. Moore heads into a gubernatorial rematch this cycle against Republican challenger former Del. Dan Cox, a Republican — a race in which Maryland’s sanctuary policies are likely to remain a flashpoint.