(WBFF) — Two Maryland mothers who lost their daughters in high-profile killings by illegal immigrants urged Gov. Wes Moore to veto legislation that would ban the state’s 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling the measure a threat to public safety.
The bill, which passed the Maryland General Assembly last week, now heads to Moore’s desk. Moore is expected to sign it, and it would become law immediately. The legislation would end the practice of screening inmates in jail for their immigration status through 287(g) agreements.
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Tammy Nobles, the mother of Kayla Hamilton, spoke out Monday night against the expected signing. “I testified against (the legislation) when it was brought up,” Nobles said.
Kayla Hamilton, 20, was killed in Aberdeen in 2022. Convicted for the murder, 16-year-old Walter Martinez, described as an MS-13 gang member from El Salvador who was in the United States illegally. Nobles blamed weak immigration laws and fragile border patrol policies at the time, and she said she remains dissatisfied with the 287(g) bill.
“I don’t know why (Gov. Moore) is protecting all of these illegal immigrant criminals. He should be protecting citizens like Kayla. Where was he when Kayla was being murdered,” Nobles said. “You’re sitting there protecting these criminals and you should care about the community as a whole and protect the whole community from these monsters. We need to know who’s a criminal and who’s not.”
Patty Morin, the mother of Rachael Morin, also spoke out against the legislation and Moore’s expected signature. Rachael Morin was murdered on the Ma and Pa Trail in Harford County in 2023. Victor Martinez Hernandez, from El Salvador, who was in the country illegally, was convicted for the crime.
Morin stood with Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler last week in opposition to the bill.
“(My daughter) was brutally and horrifically murdered,” Morin said. “I’m really so very angry that Gov. Moore would do something like this instead of thinking about the families that have paid the ultimate price in losing their children, their mothers and children.”
Nobles said her message is focused on public safety. “The bottom line is that we need to protect American citizens first. Our safety comes first,” she said.
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