Maryland Politics and Policy

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday signed emergency legislation immediately banning all existing and future 287(g) agreements that let local police act as federal immigration agents, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Department of Homeland Security. DHS pointed to the recent case of Filberto Gonzalez Gutierrez, an undocumented Mexican national charged in Anne Arundel County with attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment after allegedly slashing his wife’s neck with a box cutter, saying his safe transfer to ICE custody depended on a detainer that local jailers honored — and warning that 'safe arrests like these are now in jeopardy' under the new law. The statute forces Maryland jurisdictions to terminate 287(g) partnerships at once, but leaves it to local agencies’ discretion whether to honor ICE detainers requested by the federal government, while barring those agencies from issuing their own immigration holds. Moore’s office insists the measure does not authorize the release of violent offenders, does not bar cooperation with federal authorities on deporting 'criminals who pose a risk to public safety,' and still allows notification and safe transfers to ICE 'within constitutional limits.' The clash highlights the widening fight between blue‑state governors and Trump’s DHS over where the line runs between 'sanctuary' policies and obstruction, and how often serious violent‑crime cases involving undocumented suspects are being used to attack state‑level limits on immigration enforcement.