Baltimore County now cooperating with ICE

By Alvin Wu
Domestic Affairs
Baltimore County now cooperating with ICE

Baltimore County Detention Center. UNCUFFED MINISTRIES/Handout

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Dec. 27 (ZFJ) — Baltimore County has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to cooperate on immigration enforcement.

On Oct. 31, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Baltimore County’s removal from the department’s list of “sanctuary jurisdictions.”

“Despite restrictions from state leadership, Baltimore County has shown a willingness to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement,” said U.S. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “This is a small step toward restoring public safety and we appreciate the county’s commitment to updating its policies.”

According to the MOU, the Baltimore County Department of Corrections (BCDC) will notify ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore ahead of the projected release of any inmate in county custody with a federal immigration detainer or “warrant signed by a judge.”

ERO Baltimore will then, if it so desires, send ICE agents to take custody of the inmate.

While the MOU does not mention the program by name, the agreed-upon mode of operation matches the “jail enforcement model” of ICE’s 287(g) program delegating immigration enforcement authority to state and local law enforcement. Under this model, removable aliens arrested by state or local police are held at jails for pickup by ICE.

The Baltimore County government insists that no BCDC policies have changed, despite the fact that the DOJ has now removed the county from the sanctuary jurisdictions list.

“A recently signed memorandum of understanding between the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and Baltimore County memorializes operational procedures developed and instituted in 2024, which provide the federal government appropriate notice when releasing detainees from County custody,” it said in a statement. “This agreement makes no changes to the Baltimore County Department of Corrections standard practices and aligns Baltimore County with peer jurisdictions throughout the state of Maryland.”

Under an FAQ entry asking why the county signed this MOU, it reads, “Inclusion on DOJ’s list could risk significant federal funding, on which the County and constituents depend. Signing the MOU ensures that the County avoids risks to federal funding that is used to provide needed services to Baltimore County residents.”

The jury is still out on how long the MOU will last—Maryland state lawmakers are moving to reintroduce legislation to ban local agreements to cooperate with ICE.

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