1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I am writing to strongly oppose the Executive Order signed by Donald Trump on July 24, 2025, titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” This order is not a solution to homelessness—it is a civil liberties crisis in the making. It resurrects mass institutionalization under the guise of public safety and encourages forced civil commitments without due process. It rewards states for criminalizing poverty, bans harm-reduction efforts that save lives, defunds evidence-based “Housing First” programs, and mandates surveillance and data-sharing between healthcare providers and law enforcement. This is not about compassion—it’s about coercion. It uses the most vulnerable Americans as scapegoats to justify authoritarian overreach, eliminate human rights protections, and expand carceral systems. Maryland must not comply. I’m urging you to: • Investigate and challenge the legality of this order. • Protect funding for harm-reduction and Housing First programs in our state. • Pass state legislation that strengthens civil rights protections against forced institutionalization and data-sharing abuses. • Refuse to tie Maryland’s federal grant eligibility to unconstitutional surveillance or discriminatory enforcement practices. We must not let this country return to an era of mass internment and criminalization of poverty. I am asking you to speak out now—and act decisively.