ICE, Maryland sheriffs slam new state law prohibiting cooperation agreements

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Maryland sheriffs on Thursday strongly criticized a new state law that prohibits cooperation agreements between federal immigration officers and local authorities, with ICE accusing Maryland lawmakers of potentially allowing Americans to become 'hurt or, worse, killed by criminal aliens' through the legislation. The agency expressed its opposition through a social media post on platform X, which included a video highlighting what ICE perceives as the dangers of such policies. Maryland sheriffs joined the criticism, suggesting that the restriction on cooperation could hinder their ability to identify and detain potentially dangerous individuals who might otherwise be flagged through immigration databases. The new law represents a significant shift in Maryland's approach to immigration enforcement, creating a clear separation between federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement agencies and reflecting the ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement and the appropriate role of local jurisdictions in federal immigration matters.