Annapolis, MD — Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed emergency legislation Tuesday prohibiting local law enforcement agencies from partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), effectively ending the state’s involvement in the controversial 287(g) program.
The legislation, formally known as the Public Safety Immigration Enforcement Agreements Prohibition (Senate Bill 245 / House Bill 444), terminates contracts that previously allowed local police and sheriff’s deputies to be deputized as federal immigration agents.
In a signing ceremony at the State House, Governor Moore framed the legislation as a necessary step to professionalize policing and restore community trust.
“In Maryland, we defend constitutional rights and constitutional policing,” Governor Moore said. “We will not allow untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents to deputize our brave local law enforcement officers.”
Moore emphasized that the state’s primary focus remains public safety, which he argued is compromised when immigrant communities fear interacting with the police.
“This bill draws a clear line,” Moore added. “We will continue to work with federal partners to hold violent offenders accountable, but we refuse to blur the lines between state and federal authority in ways that undermine the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
State leaders at the ceremony highlighted the specific human toll of the previous policy, citing the unchecked expansion of federal enforcement.
Senate President Bill Ferguson spoke passionately about the fear permeating Maryland communities, sharing the story of a close family friend and legal resident who recently traded in his work van because he was terrified of being racially profiled and targeted by authorities.
“We know that ICE will no longer be assisted or subsidized by local law enforcement, ensuring that they cannot abuse or terrorize our immigrant families with Maryland’s complicity,” Ferguson said.
Lawmakers also pointed to the tragic case of Arlit Maria Martinez-Carrada in Salisbury as a driving force for the repeal. Martinez-Carrada was detained by ICE in January 2026 after a traffic stop and was denied release to be with her son, Kevin, as he died of cancer. The case drew national outrage and became a rallying cry for proponents of the bill.
A Government of Immigrants
The signing was deeply personal for Maryland’s legislative leadership, which reflects the state’s diverse population.
House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, the first immigrant to hold the speakership, reflected on her own journey coming to the U.S. as a child and learning English as a second language. She noted that immigrants are foundational to Maryland’s economy and typically have lower incarceration rates than native-born citizens.
Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, also an immigrant, echoed these sentiments.
“As an immigrant, this bill is deeply personal to me,” Miller said. “Immigrants make Maryland stronger every day… This legislation ensures that our law enforcement resources remain focused on keeping Marylanders safe, not on actions that create fear in our neighborhoods.”
The legislation comes amidst a massive expansion of federal immigration enforcement under the Trump-Vance administration. Governor Moore noted that ICE’s budget has ballooned to $85 billion—a figure reportedly exceeding the budgets of the FBI, DEA, and ATF combined—emboldening what state leaders described as “unchecked” enforcement actions.
What the Law Does (and Doesn’t) Do
To address critics, the administration clearly outlined the scope of the new law:
- Ends 287(g) Agreements: Local police can no longer act as federal immigration agents.
- Protects Due Process: Requires judicial warrants for detentions related to immigration.
- Maintains Public Safety: Does not prevent cooperation on violent crime. State authorities will continue to work with federal partners to detain and prosecute violent offenders.
“Maryland is a community of immigrants,” Moore concluded. “And that’s one of our greatest strengths because this country is incomplete without each and every one of us.”
