The U.S. The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the state of Maryland on July 9 over immigration protection laws.
The lawsuit charges under a claim made by the Trump administration that the Maryland Community Trust Act violates the federal government’s immigration policies.
The Maryland Community Trust Act was passed earlier this year, It provides protections to immigrants that overrule the federal government. This includes identity protection, detainment precautions, and mandated notifications when transferring a detainee into ICE custody.
What the DOJ charges
The DOJ has alleged that Maryland’s sanctuary policies are in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
“The Department of Justice will always defend the Constitution and the rule of law, and it does so today by challenging Maryland’s efforts to thwart federal immigration enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Local organizations respond
Organizations dedicated to protecting marginalized communities have condemned the case for public safety reasons. We Are Casa expresses the value of the Community Trust Act in a statement.
“The Community Trust Act is not an obstacle to public safety. It is one of the reasons Maryland is safer,” Executive Director George Escobar said. “This lawsuit is a weak political attempt at punishing Maryland for refusing to turn our schools, neighborhoods, and local police departments into extensions of President Trump’s mass deportation regime of terror.”
Montgomery Community Trust Act
Earlier this year, the Montgomery County Council unanimously adopted its own version of The Trust Act. Similar to the state of Maryland’s, the county’s act intends to provide safety to all residents without fear of discrimination.
“These measures are about transparency, safety and trust,” Council President Natali Fani-González said in a statement. “We know from history that our County thrives when we welcome immigrants and work together to build stronger communities. Reactionary policies that push people into the shadows don’t work—and they contradict our values.”
In addition to the county’s Community Trust Act, the county council has created an ICE portal for anonymous reports. County Executive Marc Elrich addressed concerns about legal authority and jurisdiction in a statement.
“I want to be clear about what the County can and cannot do. We cannot stop ICE from enforcing federal immigration law in Montgomery County, and this reporting mechanism will not change that,” said Elrich. “We have not made it impossible for them to operate; we have just said you are not doing it on our property without following due process.”
In a separate lawsuit against the state in May, 17 Maryland sheriffs have sued stating they are not able to perform their duties due to the passage of the Trust Act.
