Overview
- State senators advanced the Community Trust Act out of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, putting a fast-tracked floor vote in play before the legislature adjourns.
- The bill would bar police and jails from holding people for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement without a judge-signed warrant, with exceptions for felony convictions and sex-offender registry crimes.
- Lawmakers backing the measure say it does not stop ICE from carrying out federal immigration enforcement, which remains under federal authority.
- The version on the floor would also limit proactive outreach to ICE about a person’s status unless the person is a convicted felon, drawing sharp pushback from Republican lawmakers.
- Police and sheriffs’ groups oppose the plan as a constraint on routine coordination, while advocates led by CASA pushed for its revival after Maryland already banned 287(g) agreements that let local agencies help enforce civil immigration law.