Maryland Gen. Assembly Passes Bill Restricting Correctional Facilities Cooperation with ICE
MARYLAND – The Maryland General Assembly passed Senate Bill (SB) 791, also known as the Community Trust Act, just before the end of the 2026 Legislative Session on Monday.
The bill, cross-filed as House Bill 1575, passed 32-15 on Apr. 13 after the House of Delegates passed the bill with amendments the previous Friday, with 92-37 voting in favor. Governor Wes Moore is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days.
The legislation prohibits local correctional facilities from taking certain actions related to immigration enforcement. In particular, SB 791 limits how law enforcement can informally communicate with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), halts all notifications and transfers to ICE without a court order or judicial warrant, and prohibits extended holds without warrants on individuals released from local correctional facilities purposes of immigration enforcement.
Senator Mary Beth Carozza (R-District 38) tells WMDT that Republicans in the Maryland General Assembly led a sustained floor fight in both chambers in the final days of the legislative session. Republican leaders have been firm in arguing that the proposal undermines public safety.
“Senate Bill 791 should really be called the Community Betrayal Act. It dramatically increases the likelihood that individuals with serious crime histories will be released back into the community before federal authorities can act lawfully within their jurisdiction,” said Senator Carozza. “Maryland Sheriffs have warned that legislation like this could actually increase the presence of ICE agents in Maryland. Without open lines of communication, we are only raising the chances that Maryland could become the next Minnesota.”
Senator Carozza says she was among the Senate Republicans who offered an amendment to SB 791 that allowed for local law enforcement to contact ICE for arrests of first and second degree rape. The amendment failed with the majority of the Democrats voting against the rape amendment.
On the other side of the aisle, civil rights groups are celebrating the passage. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Maryland says The Community Trust Act addresses a critical gap in Maryland’s protections for immigrant communities.
“This bill is a landmark step toward ensuring that all Marylanders, regardless of immigration status, can live and work freely without fear,” ACLU Maryland said in a press release.
