BALTIMORE (WBFF) — The calls are growing for Gov. Wes Moore to veto a controversial immigration bill passed by the General Assembly on the final day of the 2026 legislative session.
The Community Trust Act, or SB 791, re-emerged in the final week of session after sitting in committee for months. The legislation seeks to curb cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The bill came after lawmakers already approved a bill to ban the formal 287(g) agreements in Maryland.
In a letter to Gov. Wes Moore Thursday, House Republicans urged the governor to veto the bill, arguing the legislation is “merely a product of reactionary virtue signaling.” The House GOP’s letter comes after the Senate Republicans sent a similar letter to Gov. Moore seeking a veto on the same bill.
Under the legislation, a felony conviction or a judicial warrant must be present before local law enforcement could communicate with ICE about someone’s immigration status. The legislation also outlines that law enforcement can notify ICE of someone who is detained in a correctional facility if that person would be on the sex offender registry, sentenced between 12 and 18 months in a state prison, or committed an offense in another state that resulted in at least five years served in prison.
SB 791 “violates the trust of our citizens by prohibiting local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE to turn over illegal immigrants in their custody,” House Republicans wrote in their letter. “The bill prohibits state and local law enforcement from honoring federal immigration detainers without a judicial warrant and restricts the sharing of inmate release information.”
Supporters of the bill, primarily Democratic lawmakers, argue that it ensures due process.
“When there is a felony or a serious charge, the detention center or local law enforcement should and can call ICE,” House Speaker Joseline Pena-Melnyk said during a previous interview with FOX45 News.
Legislative analysts have warned that the bill could jeopardize federal funding for the state. This concern is underscored by a recent executive order signed by President Trump, directing the Department of Justice and Homeland Security to evaluate “sanctuary” states and potentially cut federal funding.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security argued the policies passed by lawmakers in Maryland impact public safety.
“When sanctuary politicians outlaw state and local law enforcement cooperation, they make their communities less safe. 7 of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE,” the spokesperson said via statement. “When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities.”
These politicians must stop releasing criminals into our communities and playing Russian roulette with American lives, a DHS spokesperson told FOX45 News.
FOX45 News also reached out to the Office of Attorney General, asking several questions about the language in the bill itself. However, the questions were not especially addressed in the statement sent to FOX45 News.
“All bills passed by the Maryland General Assembly are reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General for constitutionality and legal sufficiency,” OAG Spokesperson Kelsey Hartman said. “That review is standard practice and applies to all passed legislation.”
Questions to Gov. Moore’s team about what he intends to do with the Community Trust Act have gone ignored for weeks. Friday, he was in the Baltimore area for a groundbreaking ceremony at Sparrows Point Container Terminal. FOX45 News intended to question him about the latest request to veto the Community Trust Act, however Gov. Moore did not answer any questions.
If enacted, the legislation would take effect immediately.
Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.
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