Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told a Maryland House Judiciary subcommittee that the state’s newly‑enacted Community Trust Act threatens public safety by limiting cooperation with federal immigration officials. Gahler, a 40‑year law‑enforcement veteran, warned that the law could compel correctional officers to release an illegal immigrant from jail even after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has identified the individual as a public‑safety or national‑security risk.
Local sheriffs lead lawsuit against the law
Gahler is heading a coalition of 16 sheriffs—representing roughly two‑thirds of Maryland’s counties—in a lawsuit challenging the act. He testified that the legislation would force jail officials to turn over inmates to ICE only after they are released, increasing the chance that dangerous illegal immigrants could re‑enter the community.
“I don’t want to have to open the jail door and say, ‘Welcome back to Harford County. Go victimize. Let’s create some more victims,’” Gahler said. “That is insane.” He added that if a released individual commits another crime, responsibility lies with the elected officials who passed the restrictions.
Families cite personal tragedy
Gahler highlighted two Harford County families whose lives were shattered by illegal‑immigrant perpetrators. In August 2023, Rachel Morin, a 37‑year‑old mother of five, was raped and murdered on the Ma and Pa Trail by Victor Antonio Martinez‑Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador serving a life sentence. In July 2022, Kayla Hamilton, a 20‑year‑old autistic woman, was raped and strangled in her Aberdeen home by Walter Javier Martinez, a suspected MS‑13 member who entered the United States illegally as an unaccompanied minor and is serving a life sentence with most of the term suspended.
Gahler argued that these victims should not be reduced to political talking points and criticized state officials for failing to reach out to the families.
State officials defend the law
Governor Wes Moore allowed the Community Trust Act to become law without his signature. In response to Gahler’s concerns, Moore’s senior communications strategist Rhyan Lake said Maryland has seen “some of the largest drops in violent crime in the country” since the governor took office. Lake added that while Maryland will cooperate with the federal administration, “untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents arresting five‑year‑olds and ripping mothers from their families does not make anyone safer.”
Lake emphasized that the state will continue to protect Marylanders’ constitutional rights and basic dignity while holding violent offenders accountable.
What the law changes
The Community Trust Act limits when Maryland authorities can inquire about a person’s immigration status, hold them over for suspected civil violations, or notify ICE that they are in custody. Critics say the law dismantles the 287(g) partnership that allowed ICE transfers to occur inside secure jail facilities, a practice that many law‑enforcement leaders believed kept both officers and the public safer.
Gahler clarified that his deputies do not conduct immigration raids and do not replace federal agents. “We work with our federal partners. We don’t replace them,” he said. Under the former 287(g) program, individuals already jailed on criminal allegations could be turned over to ICE safely within the jail, reducing the need for risky street arrests.
Political backdrop
Gahler noted that Maryland’s opposition to the 287(g) program resurfaced when President Donald Trump returned to the White House, suggesting the debate is driven by partisan politics rather than public safety. He compared Maryland’s approach to California’s, accusing both Democrat‑led states of “playing a game of tennis” to see who can adopt the most “idiotic” policies.
He also linked the issue to the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, arguing that the lack of communication between local, state, and federal agencies—exacerbated by the new law—undermines a critical lesson learned from that tragedy.
Next steps
The sheriffs plan to continue pressing their case in court and urging state leaders to reconsider the legislation. Gahler warned that without change, more American families could become victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants who remain in the country.
“Our job should be to stop increasing the number of angel families and stop allowing American citizens to be the victims of crime committed by people who are in our country illegally,” he said.
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
