U.S. Justice Department Sues Maryland Over Sanctuary Policies, Citing Immigration Law Violations

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Maryland, challenging its sanctuary policies for immigrants. The DOJ argues these policies interfere with federal immigration law enforcement and are illegal.

The lawsuit specifically targets Maryland's Community Trust Act, which restricts cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The Department of Justice stated that some detention centers have refused to transfer undocumented immigrants into federal custody, even with routine detainer requests.

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The state and city's deliberate efforts to obstruct federal law enforcement endanger citizens and contravene the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.

"The state and city's deliberate efforts to obstruct federal law enforcement endanger citizens and contravene the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution," the DOJ asserted in a statement. U.S. Attorney Stanley Woodward added that sanctuary laws protecting undocumented immigrants silence the voices of ordinary American voters.

This legal action is part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to identify state laws that limit local law enforcement's cooperation with the federal government. The DOJ has filed over 20 similar lawsuits against sanctuary policies in other states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, and New York. States and localities often argue that such cooperation impacts their budgets and public trust in law enforcement.

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when sanctuary jurisdictions enact laws to protect undocumented aliens from federal authorities, the voices of ordinary American voters are silenced.