Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler is warning that Maryland's new sanctuary law could force jail officials to release dangerous individuals back into communities, a concern he shared during testimony before a House Judiciary subcommittee. Gahler is leading 16 fellow sheriffs—representing two-thirds of the state—in a lawsuit challenging the Community Trust Act, which restricts cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
The Community Trust Act, signed into law earlier this year after Governor Wes Moore allowed it to become law without his signature, limits when Maryland authorities can question people about their immigration status, hold them over suspected civil violations, or notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of someone's custody. The law also dismantled the state's participation in the federal 287(g) program, which had allowed local jails to screen inmates for immigration violations.
What the Right Is Saying
Sheriff Gahler, a 40-year law enforcement veteran, told Fox News Digital that his greatest fear is the law forcing correctional officers to release individuals flagged by ICE as public safety or national security threats. "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,'" he said. "That is insane."
The sheriffs' lawsuit argues the restrictions dismantled a safe, jail-based partnership with ICE under the 287(g) program that had operated for years without controversy. Gahler accused state officials of understanding the risks but prioritizing politics over public safety. "I think they understand. I think they don't care," he said. "We have a criminal-friendly legislature. It's all pro-criminal." The sheriff pointed to two cases in Harford County involving killings by undocumented immigrants—Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five murdered in August 2023, and Kayla Hamilton, a 20-year-old autistic woman killed in July 2022—as evidence of the stakes involved.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic supporters of the Community Trust Act argue it protects constitutional rights while maintaining public safety. Governor Moore's office emphasized that Maryland will not be a sanctuary for criminals under his administration and pointed to significant drops in violent crime since he took office. "In fact, since Governor Moore took office, Maryland is seeing some of the largest drops in violent crime in the country," said Rhyan Lake, senior communications strategist for the governor.
Critics of aggressive immigration enforcement within the Democratic Party have raised concerns about ICE practices, arguing that untrained and unqualified federal agents have been involved in incidents including arrests of minors and family separations. Proponents contend that the Maryland law holds violent offenders accountable while protecting residents' constitutional rights and basic dignity. The Moore administration has stated it will continue working with federal partners when it comes to making communities safer.
What the Numbers Show
The Community Trust Act passed the Maryland General Assembly with support primarily from Democratic lawmakers. Sixteen of Maryland's 24 sheriffs—representing jurisdictions covering approximately two-thirds of the state's population—are joined in the federal lawsuit challenging the law, making it one of the most significant challenges to a sanctuary policy at the state level.
According to ICE data cited by Gahler during his testimony, hundreds of jailed immigrants have been released back onto streets in states with similar restrictions despite immigration detainers being lodged against them. The governor's office pointed to FBI and state crime data showing Maryland experienced notable decreases in violent crime rates compared to national averages since 2023.
The Bottom Line
A federal court will now consider whether to grant an injunction blocking enforcement of the Community Trust Act while the lawsuit proceeds. Gahler has pledged that if anyone released under the law commits another crime, responsibility falls on elected officials who imposed the restrictions. Governor Moore's administration has maintained it will continue cooperating with federal authorities on violent offenders while opposing what it characterizes as overreach by immigration agents. The case could have implications for similar sanctuary policies in other states if courts rule on whether limits on local-federal immigration cooperation are permissible.