Maryland lawmaker proposes bill barring certain ICE agents from getting jobs with state police
A Democratic Maryland lawmaker is proposing a bill that would prevent sworn-in immigration officers from pursuing positions at state law enforcement agencies.
State Delegate Adrian Boafo, who represents Prince George's County, is sponsoring the "ICE Breaker Act of 2026," which is aimed at people who have or will join the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after President Trump was sworn into office in January 2025.
The bill does not apply to immigration officers who were hired before Mr. Trump was sworn in, or those who have served in administrative capacities.
"These are a group of people who, under the cover of masks and without proper identification, are willfully executing Donald Trump's racist immigration policies through harassment, intimidation, and violence against innocent people," Boafo said. "In so doing, they have taken parents from their children, left struggling families without their breadwinners, and have left countless Marylanders afraid to leave their homes."
ICE immigration hires have increased
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it has hired more than 12,000 ICE officers and agents in less than a year, and more than 220,000 applications were received.
The department says it has doubled its ICE officers from 10,000 to 22,000.
"The good news is that thanks to the Big Beautiful Bill that President Trump signed, we have an additional 12,000 ICE officers and agents on the ground across the country," said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "That's a 120% increase in our workforce, and that's in just about four months."
According to the website govexec.com, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has offered $50,000 signing bonuses and expanded student loan repayments as incentives, while eliminating age restrictions.
Two-thirds of the more than 700 people arrested by ICE between September 1 and October 15 have never been charged with a crime, according to our media partner The Baltimore Banner.
Boafo stated that those who support the Trump administration's immigration policies by joining ICE should not be permitted to serve in state government agencies.
"These people do not have the training, credentials, or character to serve and protect the people of Maryland," Boafo said. "Their values are not ours, and they have no place collecting salaries and benefits from the taxpayers of our state."
Recent shooting involving Maryland ICE officers
Boafo's proposal comes after ICE officers shot a man who they say attempted to drive at them with a van in Anne Arundel County on Christmas Eve.
ICE said officers were doing detail around 11 a.m. in the 500 block of West Court in Glen Burnie when they approached a white van.
ICE told WJZ that the driver ignored orders to turn off the engine, and then rammed the van into several ICE vehicles and appeared to have driven at officers before he was shot. The van crashed in between two buildings, which injured his passenger.
ICE identified the driver as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, an undocumented immigrant from Portugal. The passenger was identified as Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador.
"This incident, which is still under investigation, comes as the extremist anti-ICE rhetoric and outright lies of politicians, the news media, activists, and violent agitators continue to fuel a more than 1,150% increase in assaults against ICE officers," ICE told WJZ. "Our brave officers are risking their lives every day to keep American communities safe by arresting and removing illegal aliens from our streets. Continued efforts to encourage illegal aliens and violent agitators to actively resist ICE will only lead to more violent incidents, the extremist rhetoric must stop."
