Maryland House, Senate pass bill to end 287(g) law enforcement partnership with ICE

Both the Maryland House and Senate have approved a bill that would end 287(g) agreements, or partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

The bill would prohibit all state employees and agencies from entering into 287(g) agreements, and would require that all existing agreements end. 

There are different types of 287 (g) agreements, including ones that grant police officials permission to ask about immigration status during an arrest, and others that allow officers to carry out immigration enforcement responsibilities.

The bill will now head to the opposite chamber, where it must be approved before it can go to Gov. Wes Moore's desk to be signed into law. 

287(g) agreements in Maryland 

Eight Maryland counties currently participate in 287(g) agreements, including Allegany, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Washington and St. Mary's counties. 

Immigration advocacy group CASA has been a vocal supporter of the legislation to end the agreements. 

"Today's votes represent a monumental shift, affirming that Maryland will no longer allow local law enforcement to be deputized as federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, a voluntary program widely condemned for fueling racial profiling, separating families, and eroding the trust that is essential for true community safety," the organization said in a statement. 

Use of 287 (g) agreements has increased in the past year, as the Trump administration carries out a crackdown on immigration.