The Trump administration is suing the state of Maryland for passing sanctuary laws shielding illegal aliens that it says are in “blatant disregard for federal laws.”
The lawsuit, brought by the U.S. Department of Justice last week, points to the Community Trust Act, passed by Democratic lawmakers earlier this year, which it argues is meant to obstruct and thwart the enforcement of federal immigration law.
Senate Bill 79, bars local and state law enforcement from sharing an individual’s personal information with federal immigration agents, or notifying them of custody, unless under a court order.
“Such blatant disregard for federal laws that have been on the books for decades is not merely a political disagreement or passive abstention; it is deliberate, disruptive action that jeopardizes the public safety for all Americans,” the lawsuit says. “The Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution prohibits a state from obstructing Congress and the Executive in this manner.”
The lawsuit lists the state of Maryland, as well as Attorney General Anthony Brown, as defendants.
“Federal immigration officers merely enforce the laws that our Nation’s elected representatives in Congress passed, reflecting the will of We the People,” DOJ Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said in a statement. “When sanctuary jurisdictions enact laws to shield illegal aliens from federal law enforcement, it is not merely federal law that is violated, but the voices of everyday American voters silenced. Today’s suit proves that this Department will never stand for such lawless action from blue state leaders.”
The DOJ’s Civil Division has filed 20 other lawsuits challenging state and local sanctuary policies across the country, the department said.
Last year, the DOJ published a list of 13 states – not including Maryland – that have passed sanctuary laws, along with several cities and counties.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform called Maryland’s law, which was enacted in May, called it “one of the broadest and most dangerous sanctuary laws in the country.”
“Effectively, Maryland lawmakers are forcing federal authorities to conduct more at-large operations rather than permitting controlled custodial transfers,” FAIR said.
