News & Commentary

In case after case, a call for help led to a tragic death. And because that death occurred in a police encounter, grieving families faced a second blow: fighting an onslaught of police-driven narratives focused more on blaming the victim and suggesting the death was inevitable than asking what could have saved them. That dynamic feeds a false perception that all such deaths are inevitable, except perhaps a rare few attributable to a few bad actors. The ACLU’s database and report aim to show what families have long known — these deaths result from systemic failures across many institutions, not just policing.

Despite the expense, private litigation often offers the only path to push back when important public information is withheld. Maryland is no exception, as the state Attorney General lacks the power to sue over wrongfully denied record requests, excessive copy fees, and other violations of the Maryland Public Information Act. This leaves private lawsuits as the only way to enforce government compliance, allowing the ability to pay legal fees to ultimately dictate the possibility of transparency.

Ending 287(g) was a critical victory. But it didn’t end all cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE in Maryland. Every day, local police and jail staff informally collaborate with ICE, funneling Maryland residents from correctional facilities into federal immigration custody. The Community Trust Act is about drawing a clear line between criminal law enforcement and civil immigration enforcement.

Historic Figures Who Shaped Our Present, and Our Future

Since the start of President Trump’s second term, immigrant communities across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia have been living with an immigration agenda once again defined by fear, intimidation, and aggressive federal enforcement. While these policies are often most visible in Washington, D.C., their consequences do not stop at the District line. In the DMV, where daily life crosses jurisdictional boundaries, immigration enforcement functions as a regional force, and so must the response.

When police point guns at children, they don’t just risk physical harm – they inflict lifelong trauma. That’s why what happened to a 15-year-old Frederick County child.

The following remarks are from ACLU Maryland's Senior Staff Attorney David Rocah, after Baltimore County confirmed it had quietly signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - with no public notice or Council engagement.

The Baltimore County Council has brazenly moved to deepen inequity and reinforce white political dominance in a county where nearly half the population is Black or of color.

Unprecedented. Authoritarian. An open assault to the rule of law.