For the past 18 years, agents at the Frederick County jail in Maryland routinely asked detained individuals about their citizenship and birthplace. If a response indicated they were not U.S. citizens, local officials, who had special federal authority, would initiate investigations to determine their immigration status. Since 2008, the county has handed over 1,884 individuals to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, as reported by Sheriff Charles Jenkins.

However, this practice has come to an immediate halt with the recent enactment of a law by Democratic Governor Wes Moore, which prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. This legislation highlights the broader resistance in Democratic-led states against the anti-immigrant strategies promoted by former President Donald Trump, demonstrating a shift in how immigration enforcement is carried out at the local level.

Currently, ten states led by Democratic governors have implemented policies that protect individuals from federal immigration enforcement, reflecting a fundamental divide in how states respond to immigration issues. The new law in Maryland underscores a growing trend among these states to prioritize community trust and public safety over strict federal immigration compliance, affirming their stance against policies perceived as unjust and harmful to immigrant communities.