Justice Dept Sues Maryland Over Sanctuary Law

State of MD - The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of Maryland on Thursday. The suit targets the state's Community Trust Act, a new law that limits how much local police and jails can work with federal immigration agents.

Federal officials say the law crosses a legal line. They argue it blocks local corrections officers from honoring detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The lawsuit claims this creates real safety risks for communities.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward didn't mince words in a statement announcing the suit. "Federal immigration officers merely enforce the laws that our Nation's elected representatives in Congress passed, reflecting the will of We the People," he said. "When sanctuary jurisdictions enact laws to shield illegal aliens from federal law enforcement, it is not merely federal law that is violated, but the voices of everyday American voters silenced. Today's suit proves that this Department will never stand for such lawless action from blue state leaders."

Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, who leads the Justice Department's Civil Division, echoed that message. "The American people are ultimately the ones who suffer when states pass these irresponsible sanctuary policies," he said. "The Department of Justice will always defend the Constitution and the rule of law, and it does so today by challenging Maryland's efforts to thwart federal immigration enforcement."

The lawsuit points to a local example close to home. According to the complaint, the Worcester County Jail in Snow Hill told federal agents in late May that it would stop honoring ICE detainers altogether. The facility denied a scheduled ICE pickup that same morning, the suit states.

Justice Department attorneys argue the law is preempted by the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. They say state and local governments cannot pass laws that directly interfere with federal immigration enforcement. Maryland has not yet filed a formal response in court.

This case is part of a bigger push from the Justice Department's Civil Division. Officials say they've now filed 20 similar lawsuits against sanctuary-style policies in other states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, and New York. Maryland is the latest to join that list.

The case now heads to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, where a judge will decide how it moves forward.

Source: Lawsuit Filed