Immigration advocates rallied Thursday outside St. Anne’s Parish in Annapolis, calling on state officials to protect spaces like churches and schools from immigration enforcement. (Photo by Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters)
With a historic church as a backdrop, advocates for Maryland’s immigrant population Thursday called on lawmakers to protect schools, churches and other community spaces from potential raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The rally at St. Anne’s Parish in Annapolis came a week after the Department of Homeland Security reversed Biden administration policies that had expanded the definition of “protected areas” where immigration enforcement activities were discouraged.
That 2021 order included areas where children gather, disaster or emergency relief sites, social service establishments, schools, places of worship and medical treatment facilities. On Jan., 21, the Trump administration lifted those restrictions, saying it would not “tie the hands” of agents enforcing immigration laws.
“Last Tuesday, the Trump administration redesigned a federal policy that previously directed ICE to stay away from these places. Now we have no protections,” said Crisaly De Los Santos, CASA’s central Maryland and Baltimore director.
“Our hospitals and medical facilities are for healing, not for terror. Our courthouses are for justice, not fear. And our schools are for education, not intimidation,” she said at the rally.
Emergency legislation is already in the works, said Del. Jared Solomon (D-Montgomery), who plans to sponsor the “Protecting Sensitive Locations Act” this session with Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery).
Solomon acknowledged that there’s little the state can do to actually keep federal agents out of those spaces, but it can arm residents with knowledge of their rights. His bill calls on the attorney general and other state agencies to issue guidance on how community spaces and institutions can interact with ICE agents under the new policy.
“At its fundamental core, this is about ensuring that every institution that we have deemed … critical to our communities has guidance from our attorney general to know what their rights are,” Solomon said at the rally. “And to make sure that they know when and where and how they can prevent ICE from coming in when they [agents] are not following the law.”
Advocates said the Trump administration is already causing anxiety and fear in Maryland schools: A Baltimore County middle school student who identified herself as “Maddy” told the rally that she and her friends are fearful following the revised rules.
“Schools should be a place where we feel safe to learn, make friends and build relationships with our teachers, but right now, many of us are living in fear,” she said at the CASA rally. “I have a lot of friends and classmates who feel scared and anxious about this. They are worried that something might happen to their family, or to them while they’re at school.
“This fear makes it hard for us to focus on our schoolwork or even enjoy being at school,” she said. “Instead of feeling safe and excited to learn, we feel like we’re constantly looking over our shoulder, wondering if today is the day something bad happens.”
After the rally, Solomon said the emergency legislation has been in the works since November and, if passed, would take effect immediately rather than waiting for July 1 or a later effective date.
While the bill would not create any new protections for undocumented residents, Solomon and advocates believe the guidance will help bring those residents some peace of mind amid heighted ICE activity.
“While we can’t physically stop law enforcement from doing things that they want to do,” Solomon said, “making it very clear that — this is when they need a warrant, this is a public space that they can come into, this is not a public space that they come into — anything that we can do to make people feel like there is more clarity and make our community members feel like they’re more safe, the better,” Solomon said Thursday afternoon.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has already issued guidance for health care facilities and local law enforcement explaining how to interact with federal immigration enforcement to ensure staff and officers respect individuals’ constitutional rights while complying with federal agents. Maryland State Schools Superintendent Carey Wright also issued a “guide for students, families, and local education agencies” on how they can deal if immigration agents show up at a school.
But Solomon said his bill would expand the types of public locations that would receive guidance. That list includes:
- schools, which includes Pre-K through 12 and institutions of higher education;
- medical or mental health care facilities;
- places of worship;
- places where children gather, including playgrounds;
- recreational centers;
- child care centers and foster care facilities;
- social service establishments, including crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, and drug or alcohol treatment facilities;
- areas where disaster of emergency response is being provided;
- a courthouse and any other location deemed appropriate by the attorney general.
“We’re hearing from constituents, where hearing from organizations that they don’t quite know what to do,” Solomon said. “Understanding where and when ICE can actually enter, what your rights are in not allowing people into your premises — it’s really important.”
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