Dozens of immigrant-rights advocates packed Lawyers' Mall in Annapolis on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to push the Community Trust Act across the finish line before Sine Die. Their core demand: stop local jails and police from acting as an extension of federal immigration enforcement and keep residents' personal data from quietly flowing to immigration authorities. The rallying cry was straightforward and loud enough for the State House to hear: protect families and rebuild trust between immigrant communities and local government.
"The Maryland Senate has five days, the Maryland legislature has five," We Are CASA Executive Director George Escobar told the crowd, pressing leaders for immediate action. A 10-year-old member then took the mic and described visiting a detained relative before he was deported, a stark reminder of the stakes in the debate, as reported by CBS Baltimore. Advocates framed SB 791, the Community Trust Act, as their top priority, linking the push to a national uptick in immigration arrests and to local efforts to shield communities from civil immigration enforcement.
What the Community Trust Act Would Do
Filed as SB 791, with a House cross-file as HB 1575, the Community Trust Act would bar employees and agents of state and local correctional facilities from holding people for federal immigration authorities without a judicial warrant. It would also block informal sharing of names, locations, and other records for immigration-enforcement purposes, according to the bill text on the Maryland General Assembly website. Supporters say the measure would lock into law limits on cooperation that, in their view, should already be standard practice across Maryland jurisdictions.
Data Privacy Act and Other Measures Waiting
Sen. Clarence Lam's Data Privacy Act, filed as SB 504 with a House cross-file as HB 711, would bar certain companies from selling personal data for immigration-enforcement purposes and tighten when federal agents can query state databases. That bill and related measures are still moving through committee as advocates push leaders to act before the clock runs out on the session, according to Maryland Matters. Supporters argue the proposals would work in tandem to close off information pipelines; opponents counter that the changes could undercut legitimate law-enforcement cooperation.
Opposition and the 287(g) Ban
Some law-enforcement leaders are pushing back. Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler has warned that limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities could let people who pose a threat to public safety and national security slip through without transfer, a criticism noted by CBS Baltimore. At the same time, Gov. Wes Moore signed emergency legislation in February that bans new 287(g) agreements and requires counties to wind down existing partnerships, a move advocates hailed as an early victory and state officials said takes effect immediately to end formal deputization of county officers for federal civil immigration enforcement, per WBAL. The split response highlights just how sharply the public-safety debate has shifted across Maryland's counties.
What's Next in Annapolis
With only days left in the session, advocates say they plan to keep the heat on Senate leadership to bring SB 791 and SB 504 to the floor. Civil-rights groups are calling for quick votes and warning that failure to act would leave vulnerable communities exposed. The ACLU of Maryland has praised the 287(g) ban as "an essential step" but is pressing lawmakers to pass the Community Trust Act and data-privacy measures to create a stronger, statewide legal firewall, according to a statement from the ACLU of Maryland.
