Justice Department Sues Maryland Over Sanctuary Limits On ICE Cooperation
State statutes that bar local jails from honoring civil detainers or notifying ICE of release create an obstacle to the federal immigration enforcement scheme under the Supremacy Clause.
State statutes that bar local jails from honoring civil detainers or notifying ICE of release create an obstacle to the federal immigration enforcement scheme under the Supremacy Clause.
On July 9 the Justice Department sued Maryland and Attorney General Anthony Brown over the Community Trust Act.
Why it matters: When a facility declines a detainer the individual returns to the community before federal custody can be arranged, shifting both public-safety risk and removal costs onto local households.
Date to watch: Maryland's answer to the complaint, expected within the standard civil response window
Sources:
- DOJ Office of Public Affairs press release (2026-07-09)
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-maryland-over-sanctuary-policies - United States v. Maryland complaint (2026-07-09)
https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1451931/dl - Maryland SB 791 enrolled text Community Trust Act (2026-04-13)
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0791e.pdf - Maryland General Assembly legislative status SB 0791 (2026-05-31)
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0791?ys=2026RS - Gahler et al. v. Moore et al. sheriffs complaint (2026-05-26)
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.606263/gov.uscourts.mdd.606263.1.0.pdf
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