Maryland Sheriff Warns Sanctuary Law Could Free ICE-Flagged Inmates, Leading 17-Sheriff Challenge
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 4
Maryland Sheriff Warns Sanctuary Law Could Free ICE-Flagged Inmates, Leading 17-Sheriff Challenge
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 4
Summary
Jeffrey Gahler said Maryland’s Community Trust Act could force Harford County jail staff to release inmates ICE has flagged as public-safety or national-security threats instead of transferring them in custody.
The sheriff argues the law dismantles a safer jail-based 287(g) partnership, replacing secure handoffs with arrests after release that he says raise risks for officers, victims and the public.
Gahler, a 40-year law-enforcement veteran, testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee and is leading 16 other sheriffs in a lawsuit against the law, saying politicians chose politics over public safety.
He pointed to the killings of Rachel Morin in 2023 and Kayla Hamilton in 2022 as examples of preventable harm, and linked his warning to 9/11 lessons about the need for local, state and federal coordination.
Gov. Wes Moore’s office rejected the criticism, saying Maryland is posting some of the nation’s biggest violent-crime declines and that the state will work with federal authorities while protecting constitutional rights and family unity.