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A Maryland sheriff leading 17 of the Old Line State’s 24 counties in a lawsuit challenging Annapolis’ sanctuary city policy told Congress the lessons of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks are being forgotten as the nation prepares to mark the 25th anniversary.
Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of Harford County — where local women Rachel Morin and Kayla Hamilton were murdered by illegal immigrants in 2023 and 2022, respectively — is leading the suit and echoed concerns about the consequences of mandated limits on cooperation and communication between local and federal law enforcement.
“There’s just many things that [Annapolis’] legislature has done over the past eight years or so, unfortunately, rang into that bell. But when you pass legislation in a world post-9/11 – in 9/11 we learned that we need to communicate with … all federal partners to keep our community safe,” Gahler said when questioned by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, as to why he called Maryland’s sanctuary laws as “pro-criminal.”
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“Yet, we in our state see fit to pass legislation to say we can’t communicate with this law enforcement or that law enforcement,” Gahler added. “It’s stupidity at its best.”
Gahler also told lawmakers that Maryland’s law has changed what his deputies can do when federal immigration authorities want to take custody of someone being released from local detention. He said the restrictions can require deputies to release people they believe could pose a danger rather than hold them for federal authorities.
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Seated behind Gahler were several of the other plaintiff-sheriffs in the suit against the Moore administration.
Gov. Wes Moore, who is locked in a gubernatorial rematch with former Del. Dan Cox, R-Frederick, signed Maryland’s ban on 287(g) agreements earlier this year while allowing a broader bill to become law without his signature.
State Sen. Clarence Lam, D-Elkridge, authored the bill, called the Community Trust Act, which prohibits “Agents of State,” law enforcement and corrections officials from questioning immigration status, detaining suspects to investigate citizenship or immigration status, or detaining them because police believe they committed a civil immigration violation.
The new law also bans law enforcement from notifying federal immigration authorities that a detainee is in their custody unless required by a court order, rather than just an ICE detainer.
Gahler said it is not a burden on his job to honor detainers, contrary to Democrats who have considered whether working with ICE takes away resources from local communities.
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He answered in the affirmative when asked by Gill whether illegal immigrants who become “petty criminals” should be removed rather than limiting enforcement to cases involving more serious crimes.
“That’s 100% what I believe,” Gahler said.
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Moore has said the Community Trust Act advances important goals by keeping law enforcement focused on crime reduction, according to Ocean City’s NPR affiliate, while citing logistical concerns that should be addressed through executive action or during the 2027 legislative session.
Meanwhile, Gahler and the other sheriffs suing the state argue the Community Trust Act prevents them from pursuing those goals in cases involving people sought by federal immigration authorities.
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