Baltimore County is off the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement list of sanctuary jurisdictions after agreeing to work with the agency on enforcement.
ICE first published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions nationwide on Aug. 5 in compliance with an executive order from President Trump.
Nevada was the first jurisdiction to subsequently reach a memorandum of understanding with the agency to fully collaborate on enforcing national immigration law. Baltimore County is the second.
“Despite restrictions from state leadership, Baltimore County has shown a willingness to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. This is a small step toward restoring public safety, and we appreciate the county’s commitment to updating its policies,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said Friday.
The memorandum “memorializes operational procedures developed and instituted in 2024, which provide the federal government appropriate notice when releasing detainees from County custody,” Baltimore County officials said in a statement.
County officials stressed that the agreement did not alter any of the Baltimore County Department of Corrections standard practices and that other jurisdictions across Maryland operate on similar lines in accordance with ICE.
Under the agreement, the Baltimore County Department of Corrections must notify ICE at least 48 hours prior to releasing anyone with an immigration detainer so that ICE can decide whether to take custody of that person instead, according to Baltimore’s WJZ-TV.
Baltimore County was the only Maryland jurisdiction listed in the August list compiled by the Justice Department.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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