1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support legislation banning local law enforcement participation in ICE's 287(g) program in Maryland. These agreements divert critical public safety resources away from protecting our communities and instead deputize local officers to conduct federal civil immigration enforcement. The consequences of 287(g) participation are clear from Virginia's experience. ICE arrested over 7,000 people in Virginia in 2025, three times more than the previous year. Most troubling, 56 percent of these arrests were civil enforcement actions not tied to any criminal violations, up from just 19 percent the previous year. This represents a fundamental shift from targeting serious criminals to mass deportation of community members. The 287(g) Task Force Model, which most Virginia sheriffs have adopted, enables officers to make immigration arrests during routine activities like traffic stops. This model was eliminated by the Obama administration after investigations found it led to racial profiling. Virginia State Police conducted over 235,000 traffic stops last year through early September, demonstrating how these agreements can transform everyday interactions into immigration enforcement opportunities that erode community trust. Financial incentives are now driving local participation in ways that compromise law enforcement priorities. Trump's Big Beautiful Bill provides departments with a $100,000 vehicle stipend, a $7,500 bonus for each certified officer, and monthly reimbursements for enforcement activities. Public records show departments seeking reimbursement for arrests made during traffic stops, raising serious concerns about revenue-driven policing. As Alex Kornya of the Legal Aid Justice Center warned, "The longer these agreements continue, the harder it is going to be for local law enforcement to unhook themselves from a relatively unlimited amount of federal cash." California and Illinois have already banned local 287(g) participation. Maryland came close last year and should finish the job this session. Our law enforcement resources should focus on investigating violent crime and protecting all residents, not serving as extensions of federal immigration enforcement that tears apart our communities.