17 Maryland Sheriffs Sue to Block Community Trust Act as ICE Cooperation Curbs Take Effect
Updated
Updated · WTOP · May 27
17 Maryland Sheriffs Sue to Block Community Trust Act as ICE Cooperation Curbs Take Effect
10 articles · Updated · WTOP · May 27
Seventeen of Maryland’s 24 sheriffs filed a federal civil suit in Greenbelt seeking to stop the Community Trust Act, arguing it unlawfully blocks cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The complaint, filed by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, says the law would obstruct federal law enforcement by barring local officials from honoring ICE administrative warrants and requiring judicial warrants instead.
Gov. Wes Moore let the bill become law without his signature days earlier, backing its goal of keeping local police focused on local crime while warning of implementation problems.
The measure followed Maryland’s earlier ban on 287(g) agreements with ICE; eight of nine participating counties quickly ended those deals, and advocates pushed the new law to curb informal cooperation as well.
Can a state legally forbid its police from cooperating with federal immigration agents?
Will limiting jail cooperation force federal immigration raids out into Maryland neighborhoods?
When sheriffs are barred from helping ICE, are communities safer or are dangerous criminals set free?
Legal Showdown Over Maryland’s Community Trust Act: Sheriffs Sue to Block 2026 Sanctuary Law
Overview
Seventeen Maryland sheriffs have filed a federal lawsuit to block the Community Trust Act from taking effect in June 2026, directly challenging both the state legislature’s approval and Governor Wes Moore’s decision to let it become law without his signature. The sheriffs argue the Act would turn Maryland into an 'ultrasanctuary state,' raising concerns about public safety and hindering cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Their immediate goal is to secure an injunction to halt the law’s implementation, highlighting a deep divide over the balance between community trust, local policing, and federal immigration collaboration.