Maryland lawmakers are debating a bill that would provide some protection for immigrants at public schools, state affiliated hospitals and other state-run service sites like shelters or clinics.
It’s a pushback against President Donald Trump’s executive order allowing immigration enforcement at so-called “sensitive locations,” a decade-long immigration practice that Trump overturned on the first day of his second term.
Under Senate Bill 828, the Maryland Attorney General would create guidelines for state agencies on how to comply with federal immigration enforcement. It would inform relevant state agencies about the limitations on federal immigration enforcement activities at sensitive locations.
During a Tuesday hearing, Bill Sponsor Senator William Smith argued that it balances the need for clarity while following federal law.
“This is not a feel good bill, and it's actually a substantive bill for informational purposes, because there is a difference between an administrative warrant and a judicial warrant,” said Smith. The educational aspect is critical for all state agencies to have a uniform policy should immigration officials show up at their doorsteps, the Montgomery County Democrat explained.
“The difference between an administrative warrant, which is issued by essentially a bureaucrat within the Department of Homeland Security, does not allow you access into private spaces and or government public government spaces. You need a judicial warrant for that issued by a judge– by a federal district court or state court judge,” said Smith. State agencies would have to allow access to the space if presented with a judicial warrant, he said.
Smith was met with some encouragement across the aisle from Republicans.
“There's no question that we need to have one law which applies uniformly across the state to all state agencies, so that we don't have different interpretations in different parts of the state and different treatment of these situations,” said Senator Christopher West , who represents parts of Baltimore and Carroll Counties.
But the Republican did voice some concerns. He worried the bill could invite retaliation from the Trump administration and also noted that some Marylanders elected the president because of his aggressive stance on immigration.
The bill is still in committee. It is supported by immigrant advocacy groups like CASA and the Baltimore City Council, which recently passed a resolution in support of Senate Bill 828 and others aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants and their families.
