Politicians in Maryland and Virginia differ greatly on the issue of immigration, despite their close geographical proximity.
During the weekend, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin released an executive order expressing his commitment to providing “full cooperation” with federal immigration initiatives.
In his argument, Youngkin asserts that it is crucial to prevent dangerous criminal illegal immigrants from reentering our communities and committing acts of assault, rape, and murder. As a result, he is calling for local detention centers to report detainees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Youngkin has also directed local law enforcement to adhere to ICE’s ‘287-G’ program, which grants state police the power to apprehend undocumented immigrants under ICE supervision.
In Maryland, the participation in the program is limited to Cecil, Frederick, and Harford counties. This is due to the absence of statewide policies, resulting in varying levels of cooperation among the counties.
According to Maryland’s ICE Director, Mathew Elliston, there is a prohibition on any cooperation with ICE in counties like Prince George’s and Howard.
According to Elliston, their law enforcement officers are strictly prohibited from communicating with them. This policy applies to all cases, including those involving pedophiles, rapists, or murderers. There are no exceptions when it comes to collaborating with them.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, there are 10 locations across the state that have implemented some form of sanctuary policy.
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- Baltimore City
- Baltimore County
- Charles County
- Howard County
- Hyattsville
- Montgomery County
- Prince George’s County
- Queen Anne’s County
- Rockville
- St. Mary’s County
FOX45 contacted Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to inquire about his intentions regarding taking similar action following Youngkin’s announcement. In response, his office issued the following statement:
The State of Maryland will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners to combat violent crime in our state.
“My first thought was, well, that’s kind of the low expectation. You’re supposed to do that type of stuff,” political analyst John Dedie said. “Governor Youngkin is coming off stronger than Governor Moore is on these situations. And the thing is, you know, as I mentioned before, the public is supporting what ICE is doing.”
According to a recent Gonzalez Poll, 76% of Maryland residents are in favor of ICE cooperation when it comes to arresting individuals who have committed crimes. Dedie asserts that the public, as well as the federal government, does not want to see Moore wavering on immigration policies.
According to him, if the federal government decides to retaliate against Maryland by reducing the number of federal employees in response to the state’s resistance to federal assistance, it will only negatively impact the state’s financial situation.
The current situation appears daunting as there is a $3 billion deficit that needs to be addressed.