As Annapolis City Council prepares to vote on a bill intended to protect foreign-born residents from discrimination, state legislators are weighing in with their own immigration-related proposals.
Lawmakers have filed more than a dozen bills this session dealing with immigrants and citizenship, including measures that seek to increase protections for undocumented immigrants in Maryland and others proposing to ban those safe havens.
The proposal under consideration in Annapolis would bar city officials from discriminating against foreign-born residents and would allow the city to punish anyone who questions a person’s immigration status without a legal basis or denies them city services. The measure has the blessing of the Annapolis Rules and City Government Committee and is expected to get a vote at Monday’s City Council meeting.
On Thursday, focus at the State House turned to debates over immigration that have flared at both the national and local levels.
Republican legislators walked out of the Senate after the chamber pushed ahead with a bill to grant Maryland’s attorney general broad power to challenge the federal government’s actions without Gov. Larry Hogan’s permission. While the measure is not exclusively aimed at addressing immigration decisions, Democratic attorneys general in other states have already sued President Donald Trump over his executive order imposing travel restrictions on immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim nations.
A federal appeals court refused Thursday to reinstate President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations, unanimously rejecting the administration’s claim of presidential authority, questioning its motives and concluding that the order was unlikely to survive legal…
A federal appeals court refused Thursday to reinstate President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations, unanimously rejecting the administration’s claim of presidential authority, questioning its motives and concluding that the order was unlikely to survive legal…
On the House side, Del. Pat McDonough, R-Harford and Baltimore counties, announced a measure that would allow Maryland residents to sue the state and local governments for creating so-called sanctuary protections for immigrants.
The proposal before City Council does not label Annapolis a "sanctuary city," and supporters note that city officials can still cooperate with the federal government as required by law. But the measure does prevent city officials from using money to enforce federal programs that would discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or national origin — which might lead Trump’s administration to deem Annapolis a sanctuary city, according to city attorney Mark Leahy.
Del. Warren Miller, a Republican who represents Howard and Carroll counties, wants to prohibit any local initiatives that direct jurisdictions to skirt federal immigration law.
He’s introduced a bill that would require the state comptroller to withhold payments to any city or county that does not work with federal officials or share information about a person’s immigration status with the federal government. Five Republican delegates from Anne Arundel have signed on in support.
In Miller’s home county of Howard, the County Council recently passed legislation barring county police and government employees from inquiring about a person’s immigration status. Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman, a Republican, has promised to veto the measure.
Miller said he thought the state legislature was "a more appropriate place for that discussion than Howard County." He worried the council’s move could "jeopardize huge sums of money by the federal government."
For proponents of sanctuary measures, alleviating fears and building bridges between undocumented residents and local officials is the goal.
Sen. Victor Ramirez, a Prince George’s County Democrat, has introduced a bill that would offer protections to undocumented immigrants throughout Maryland. The measure would prohibit state, county and city government officials from using public assets to detain a person for immigration enforcement purposes; bar federal immigration authorities from interviewing a person in state or local detention centers; and require public schools, hospitals and courthouses in the state to create policies limiting immigration enforcement on their premises, among other stipulations.
Sen. John Astle, D-Annapolis, and Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties, support the bill, which states its intent is "to restore community trust in Maryland law enforcement and government by clarifying the parameters of state and local participation in federal immigration enforcement efforts."
Kim Propeack, the political director for CASA, an immigrant advocacy group, said her organization prefers focusing on "trust" over "sanctuary."
"For us, this is really about creating community trust in local government," she said. "Clearly we have a broken immigration system; there’s no view in sight that’s going to get fixed soon. Everyone who lives in a community, including undocumented neighbors, need to feel trust."
Beyond sanctuary measures, Sen. Bryan Simonaire, R-Pasadena, has proposed a bill that would prohibit undocumented immigrants from voting in municipal elections.
In December, the city of Hyattsville, in Prince George’s County, became the seventh municipality in Maryland to allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in its elections. Annapolis requires its residents to have citizenship before voting in city elections, according to city spokeswoman Rhonda Wardlaw.
Simonaire’s bill would require city officials to verify that voters who are not American citizens are living in the country legally before allowing them to cast a ballot.
"I’m not trying to say that you can’t have non-citizens vote; that’s not my battle," he said. But, he said, in close local elections, the margin of victory can be a small number of votes.
"Potentially we could have (undocumented immigrants) sway elections, and I have a real problem with that," he said.
Simonaire’s bill and Ramirez’s measure have hearings later this month. Miller’s does not yet have a hearing date.
As immigration continues to dominate national discussions, Propeack has noticed a resurgence in the debate in Maryland, as well.
"This is definitely an increase," she said.
Former Maryland state delegate and gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur lead a protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline in front of the Government House for Governor Larry Hogan and other lawmakers to hear Wednesday evening.
Former Maryland state delegate and gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur lead a protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline in front of the Government House for Governor Larry Hogan and other lawmakers to hear Wednesday evening.
Former Maryland state delegate and gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur lead a protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline in front of the Government House for Governor Larry Hogan and other lawmakers to hear Wednesday evening.
Former Maryland state delegate and gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur lead a protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline in front of the Government House for Governor Larry Hogan and other lawmakers to hear Wednesday evening.
Ferries at one time crossed the South River from London Town to Ferry Point.
Ferries at one time crossed the South River from London Town to Ferry Point.
City Attorney Mike Leahy is concerned city law duplicates federal regulations protecting immigrants from discrimination. (Chase Cook / BSMG)
City Attorney Mike Leahy is concerned city law duplicates federal regulations protecting immigrants from discrimination. (Chase Cook / BSMG)
Amanda Yeager reports on a current controversy about funding for the Anne Arundel County Liquor Board.
Amanda Yeager reports on a current controversy about funding for the Anne Arundel County Liquor Board.
Food is readied to be served to midshipmen at the Naval Academy during the Super Bowl. In-house they planned on preparing 2,500 meatballs, 8,190 lbs. of wings, 1,710 lbs. of mac and cheese, 3000 vegetable cups, and 400 lbs. of buffalo chicken dip.
Food is readied to be served to midshipmen at the Naval Academy during the Super Bowl. In-house they planned on preparing 2,500 meatballs, 8,190 lbs. of wings, 1,710 lbs. of mac and cheese, 3000 vegetable cups, and 400 lbs. of buffalo chicken dip.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
