Posted on 02/17/26
| News Source: WBAL TV
Annapolis, MD - Feb. 17, 2026 - Gov. Wes Moore signed emergency legislation Tuesday morning that bans 287(g) immigration enforcement agreements in Maryland.
The Maryland House and Senate both passed versions of bills — House Bill 444 and Senate Bill 245 — to ban 287(g) agreements. The legislation was considered emergency legislation, which meant the final bill takes effect upon the governor's approval.
"Maryland is a community of immigrants. It is not our weakness, it's our strength. This is not rhetoric, it is our reality," Moore said Tuesday morning at a bill-signing ceremony. "Our neighbors, our friends, our family members are afraid because of the actions of the Trump-Vance ICE operation. Making America great does not mean telling people you're not welcome here. Making America great means realizing America would be incomplete without each and every one of us."
"Immigrants have the lowest rate of people that are incarcerated. Immigrants come here because they want a better life. Immigrants have a very strong sense of God and who they are. Immigrants have a strong family unit and they're good people, and we're all immigrants," said House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, D-District 21. "This bill is important because ... Maryland is speaking, it is saying that in our state, we value respect, we value empathy, we value people's contribution, we value the constitution, we value and support and protect Civil Rights. We are against racial profiling and we are going to be unapologetic about the values we stand for."
Supporters said the bill commits Maryland to constitutional policing, saying they worked to counter U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics and actions with legislation.
"We have been clear that my No. 1 priority, as governor, was going to make sure that we are protecting our people, that keeping Marylanders safe is not a talking point. It is a sacred responsibility," Moore said. "We are watching an assault like we have not seen before in every way, and there is nothing that we should not do to make sure that not just that our people are protected, but also make sure our people can thrive."
The governor pointed to the growing size of ICE and its budget, saying the agency received more funding last year than Maryland's entire state budget.
"Communities (are) living in fear," Moore said. "I'm not sure how any of us are safer because of any of these actions."