ACLU Maryland Statement on Governor Moore Signing Emergency Legislation Banning Formal 287(g) Agreements in Maryland

Today, Maryland’s leaders showed courage. In the face of rising authoritarianism and a national agenda rooted in fear, our state chose values over intimidation and community over cruelty.

With Governor Wes Moore signing SB 245 / HB 444, Maryland is affirming that local law enforcement exists to serve communities, not to carry out federal immigration enforcement. By ending formal 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Maryland secured a major victory for its residents and took a critical first step made possible by more than a decade of organizing by CASA, the ACLU of Maryland, and community members across the state who demanded an end to collaboration with ICE and the policies driving mass deportation.

Maryland’s taxpayer dollars are best invested in public safety, trust, and community well-being — not in turning local police into extensions of a federal paramilitary force that targets our neighbors. We are especially grateful this legislation was enacted as an emergency bill, ensuring these harmful agreements end immediately.

This victory is especially significant in Maryland. Under Trump’s second term, 287(g) agreements have tripled statewide, with nine counties participating. Frederick County’s program, the longest running in the nation, has led to nearly 2,000 deportations, primarily impacting people without criminal records. Ending these programs will keep thousands of families together.

Despite repeated claims, 287(g) does not make communities safer. These programs overwhelmingly sweep up people without criminal convictions or those accused of minor offenses such as traffic violations, rather than individuals who pose real threats to public safety. Nationally, more than three-quarters of all 287(g) detainers are issued against people without criminal convictions.

Today’s bill marks an essential step toward ensuring Maryland upholds its values and protects families from ICE’s destructive enforcement practices. It also lays the foundation for further progress.

Formal 287(g) contracts are only one pathway through which local jurisdictions engage with ICE. Twenty-three of Maryland’s twenty-four counties (including Baltimore City) still assist ICE through informal practices, including sharing information and holding people in jail to be transferred to ICE custody, often before they ever have their day in court. In 2025, more than four times as many Marylanders, most without criminal convictions, were transferred to ICE through these informal arrangements than through 287(g) programs.

Maryland doesn't have a legal obligation to assist in federal immigration enforcement. Continued collaboration is a political choice that diverts taxpayer resources and undermines community safety. Fully rejecting Trump’s paramilitary force and its mass deportation agenda requires closing this remaining loophole.

Passing the Community Trust Act is the next necessary step. The bill respects federal authority to enforce immigration law while allowing Maryland’s justice system to operate without ICE interference.

By clearly separating Maryland law enforcement from federal immigration enforcement, our state can protect families, strengthen public safety, and stand firmly for dignity, justice, and belonging for all Marylanders.