Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed emergency legislation on February 17, 2026, barring the state and local jurisdictions from entering into or maintaining agreements that deputize local officers for federal civil immigration enforcement under ICE’s 287(g) program. The measure gives jurisdictions with existing 287(g) agreements 90 days to end them, while supporters and critics continue to dispute the public-safety and community-trust implications.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, has signed Senate Bill 245 and House Bill 444—cross-filed measures designated as emergency legislation—aimed at ending formal local participation in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) civil immigration enforcement through so-called 287(g) agreements.
In a bill-signing announcement dated February 17, 2026, Moore’s office said the new law prohibits state and local jurisdictions from entering into 287(g) agreements that authorize local law enforcement to carry out certain federal civil immigration enforcement functions under ICE oversight. The governor’s office said the law takes effect immediately.
The legislation’s rollout has been closely watched in counties that already have 287(g) arrangements. Maryland Matters reported that the law gives counties 90 days to end existing 287(g) agreements, and quoted officials with the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association indicating some sheriffs were considering a legal challenge.
Moore framed the move as a way to protect constitutional policing and preserve community trust, while still allowing cooperation with federal partners on public-safety priorities. In its statement, the governor’s office said the law does not prevent coordination with federal authorities on criminal investigations or joint task forces unrelated to civil immigration enforcement, and it does not prevent notifications to ICE about an impending release from custody or constitutionally permissible transfers.
Supporters of restricting 287(g) agreements argue that embedding immigration enforcement into local policing can deter witnesses and victims from reporting crimes. During debate on the bills, proponents said ending local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement would strengthen trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities.
Opponents, including some sheriffs and Republican lawmakers, have argued that formal federal partnerships help identify noncitizens who have committed crimes and can support broader public-safety efforts. The Daily Wire cited critics who said programs such as the federal Criminal Alien Program (CAP) are important for identifying removable noncitizens in custody, and warned that severing formal cooperation could make it harder to locate certain offenders.
The new law also follows earlier Maryland immigration-related legislation debated during the Hogan administration. In the 2021 special session, lawmakers overrode Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of measures such as the Dignity Not Detention Act, which addressed the use of private facilities for immigration detention, and advocates also pushed policies intended to limit when officers ask about immigration status during routine interactions.
While the new measures curb operational agreements tied to civil immigration enforcement, state officials emphasized that other forms of coordination can continue within constitutional limits. The governor’s office said the legislation is not intended to authorize the release of criminals or halt cooperation with the federal government on shared public-safety priorities.
