Community activists to protest ICE outside Baltimore City federal building
In a social media post, the Free State Coalition said it would hold a peaceful protest "against the unlawful and inhumane detainment of immigrants in Baltimore City."
The protest comes amid local frustrations with the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration enforcement.
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Maryland communities pushback against ICE crackdown
Immigrant communities in Maryland have reported being fearful amid President Donald Trump's push for mass deportations.
This week, the Baltimore County Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution to increase protections for immigrant students. The measure states that immigrant students have the right to access Baltimore County Public School (BCPS) programming in school and throughout the district. Amid the immigration crackdown, some students have been fearful of attending school, preventing them from accessing education programs and services.
The resolution comes after a teacher at Overlea High School was placed on administrative leave for allegedly posting on social media that he would expose his students who attended an immigration justice rally.
In February, the immigration advocacy organization CASA expressed its support for proposed legislation that would protect immigrant communities in Maryland.
The proposed Maryland Data Privacy Act is a bill aimed at protecting immigrants' personal information from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The bill, if passed, would prohibit ICE agents from accessing Marylanders' personal data held in state databases without a warrant issued by a state or federal judge.
Another proposed bill, the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, would require the Maryland Attorney General to develop guidelines for immigration enforcement at sensitive locations such as schools, healthcare facilities, and places of worship.
A third bill, the Maryland Values Act - which has yet to be filed, aims to add state collaboration with ICE.
State leaders challenge federal immigration crackdown
In January, Maryland joined 11 other states in a legal challenge to President Trump's immigration initiatives, following warnings from the Department of Justice that non-compliant state officials could face investigation.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown issued guidelines to county and state law enforcement agencies clarifying that officers cannot inquire about immigration status during routine police work.
The guidelines also prohibit sharing immigration information with federal authorities without a warrant and ban contracts with private immigration detention facilities.
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