Two Maryland police sheriffs joined together Monday at Lawyer's Mall in Annapolis to hold a press conference expressing their opposition to the “Trust Act”; the sanctuary bill moving through the Maryland General Assembly. Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of Harford County and Sheriff Chuck Jenkins of Frederick County explained their concerns of the legislation from a law enforcement perspective as well as their support for the current federal program they partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on. House Bill 1362, would provide that police not act as immigration officers in order to keep trust between police and the community.
Speaking first, Sheriff Gahler expressed concerns that this would hamper police efforts and responsibility to protect their communities and cited that it is common for a police department to investigate a criminal once picked up to find out who they are and if they’ve committed a crime anywhere else. Since entering into the 287(g) partnership six months ago, 27 individuals who have committed crimes in Harford were also found to be illegally in the country; 8 were designated by the federal government as a “threat to national security.” They were all of different ethnicities and from different countries including France, Vietnam and Egypt.
Gahler worries that if the legislation were to pass, it would let criminals back on the streets.
“I will take all appropriate measures to make sure you cannot victimize, re-victimize, our community,” Gahler promised.
RELATED: Harford County Sheriff's Department to partner with federal officials on immigration cases
Sheriff Jenkins warned this would be “a bad bill for Maryland” creating not only a sanctuary state but a “magnet state” attracting dangerous criminals.
“Those individuals, many being convicted of violent crimes, are going to be released back into our streets, your counties and communities,” Jenkins warned.
He also warned the bill would deny local law officials access to critical data to prevent further crimes.
“Every single day, across this country, Americans are victims of crime. They have been killed, they’ve been maimed or victims of traffic crashes, all because we failed to enforce the law. So we always look back when something happens and say, ‘What should we have done? What should we not have done? Why didn’t we?’”
Jenkins noted Frederick County has received national attention for its success with the ICE program for nine years. 1,300 individuals wanted for murder, rape, sex abuse of a minor and other charges have been handed over to federal officials.
Gahler had also noted that the ICE program was put into place under not under the current administration but under President Bill Clinton in 1996 with bipartisan support, and that after the September 11th terrorist attack, there were increased calls for communication between local law enforcement and national security departments. He warns this bill would “prohibit” this necessary communication.
HB 1362 is sponsored by Delegate Morales of Montgomery County, which was recently in national news for a brutal rape of a high school girl by an illegal immigrant in a public school.
RELATED: Pair of teens at Rockville High School charged with raping classmate
Supporters of the bill are worried officers would act as immigration officers and use profiling.
The Maryland General Assembly ends next week; Gov. Hogan says he will veto any sanctuary bill that comes to his desk.
RELATED: Gov. Hogan opposes state 'sanctuary bill'
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