Every week, Maryland political analysts Len Foxwell and Clayton Mitchell break down the politics and personalities shaping the state and the region on the Spy podcast Maryland Caucus.
This week, Len and Clayton discuss the limits on 287(g) agreements between county sheriff departments and federal immigration agencies. They also trade thoughts on Governor Wes Moore’s plant-based Initiative and list their political hot takes for the week.
This video is approximately 18 minutes in length.
One Response
I am glad to see the Spy focus attention on the sec. 287(g) arrangements between the county sheriffs and ICE.
Maryland already passed laws on Feb. 17, 2026, that absolutely shut down the unpopular sec. 287(g) programs where ICE deputized local and state law enforcement officials to go on ICE raids, possibly with masks, unmarked uniforms with no identification. Worse and often missed in the debate, is that under that sec. 287(g) provision of federal law, Maryland taxpayers must bear the cost of salaries, overtime and supplies, for these county employees who are deputized to work for ICE. Meanwhile, ICE now has more funds than all other federal law enforcement agencies put together. (In fact, Trump is looking for things like TSA airport security for ICE agents to do.)
The new Maryland law shuts down ICE deputizing local law enforcement officers. Sheriffs engaged in existing sec. 287(g) agreements said they would terminate their participation. So, why did some Maryland democrats think further state legislation was necessary to regulate communication between Maryland law enforcement and ICE?
First, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitts took aim at Maryland’s new law shutting down sec. 287(g) agreements in Maryland, calling it “despicable”. Second, a group of Maryland sheriffs announced they would attempt to find workarounds to continue working with ICE, despite the new law. One Maryland sheriff said in an exaggerated criticism of the new law banning deputization, “It is the biggest betrayal to law enforcement and public safety that I have ever seen.”
Third, the Maryland state Senator who sponsored of this additional State legislation now pending said he introduced his bill because some police agencies were trying to circumvent or find loopholes in the new law that banned ICE deputizing Maryland local law enforcement officers. While Maryland law now clearly bans deputizing state or local law enforcement officials to work for ICE under sec. 287(g), the Maryland legislature will now decide whether to go further and limit communication between Maryland law enforcement and ICE regarding detainees in Maryland facilities. The legislature may also decide whether requests to our state should also be accompanied by a judicial warrant or court order, not just an order from an ICE immigration magistrate.