Lawmakers in Democrat-run Maryland are considering a bill to roll back sanctuary policies and increase cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in certain scenarios.
Maryland’s Senate Bill 387, or the Protecting Marylanders From Violent Offenders Act of 2025, would require local law enforcement and correction officers to turn over illegal immigrants to ICE if the individual was convicted of a violent crime, terrorism, participation in a criminal street gang, or an aggravated felony such as trafficking drugs or firearms.
Republican Sen. William Folden, the bill’s author, told FOX45 Baltimore that the bill is “only for the most violent offenders.”
“This isn’t about trying to turn any communities against each other,” Folden said. “This is about keeping our communities safe from these repeat violent offenders that some jurisdictions keep putting back out into the community and that’s not safe for anyone.”
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Critics of the bill, however, say the legislation threatens constitutional rights.
Sanctuary policies in Howard and Prince George’s County currently prohibit local authorities from cooperating with ICE agents.
Maryland’s attorney general has also issued guidance to local authorities on immigration detainers in a 2025 memorandum, stating detainers “are requests only; local officers are not obligated to honor them, and, in fact, risk violating constitutional rights by doing so.”
The Maryland bill, which is currently under committee consideration in the state Senate, would take effect on Oct. 1, 2025, if enacted.
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Since taking office last month, President Donald Trump has conducted a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, with ICE officials making several criminal arrests over the last weeks in many left-leaning “sanctuary” cities, including Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, and Washington, D.C.
While leaders in some sanctuary cities have refused to cooperate with ICE as immigration raids continue, Trump border czar Tom Homan delivered a bold message to those cities: “We’re going to keep coming” no matter what.
“They’re not going to stop us,” he said Sunday, stressing that criminal illegal immigrant gang members such as Tren de Aragua have “no safe haven” from the rule of law.
“We’re going to find them. We’re going to arrest them, and take them off the streets,” Homan said, referring to the criminal gang members.
Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo and Taylor Penley contributed to this report.
