BREAKING: Wicomico Co. Formally Enters into 287(g) Agreement with ICE
WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. — After tabled discussions last fall, Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano announced Friday morning that the county has formally entered into a 287(g) agreement under the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) model with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Public safety is the foundation upon which freedom, opportunity, and prosperity are built. Without it, nothing else matters,” Giordano said. “Refusing to act does not make us compassionate. It makes us negligent. That is why I am proud to announce that my administration has committed to entering the 287(g) program — specifically, the Warrant Service Officer model.”
Giordano clarified that the partnership will not involve the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) due to guidance from Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, which prohibits state and local law enforcement from assisting federal agents.
Sheriff Mike Lewis voiced his full support for the agreement.
“One thing is clear: We do not want another Renee Good incident to occur anywhere in this nation, let alone Wicomico County,” Lewis said. “We discussed our options. I applaud her. I commend her for what she’s doing here today, and I stand behind her 100%.”
The WSO model allows ICE to screen individuals already in custody or those with active federal warrants. The partnership is limited to correctional facilities, a departure from the initial proposal, which involved the WCSO.
“I do not want ICE ripping people from their homes. I don’t want school raids. I don’t want community raids. And when we’re hearing that that is what will happen if our jails cannot work with us, there’s no other option,” Giordano said. “While some of you may be thinking we just signed something to make our communities unsafe, we did exactly the opposite. We want our communities to be safe. We want our people to be safe.”
Giordano’s announcement comes in part as a reaction to the Maryland General Assembly’s introduction of Senate Bill 245, which would prohibit state and local agents from entering into immigration enforcement agreements. The bill would also terminate any existing agreements by July 1. Giordano testified before the Maryland Senate on Thursday night to oppose the proposed legislation.
A misconception of Senate Bill 245, Giordano said, is that it would remove ICE from Maryland. “What they are selling as the bill of goods is that ICE is no longer going to be in Maryland, but that’s just not the case,” she said. “I don’t want to see ICE kicking in doors and things like that. We don’t need a repeat of Minnesota here. And Maryland is on the list, so they’re coming. As the sheriff said, it’s only going to ramp up.”
Giordano said if Senate Bill 245 passes, the county is prepared to take legal action. “It has drawn interest from legal firms across the nation, and most of them have agreed to take the case pro bono,” she said. “It’s not costing the county any money, and they feel confident we have a strong constitutional case.”
Both Giordano and Lewis believe the WSO model will prevent ICE agents from entering local communities, as ICE will focus only on individuals within detention centers. Giordano referenced remarks from U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan, who said in a Jan. 14 statement: “If they’d let us in their… jail and stop being a sanctuary city, we could arrest the bad guy in the safety and security of the jail. But because they release them, now we have to go into the community and find them. Then they’re mad we’re in the community.”
Giordano and Lewis were joined by Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gaylor and Cecil County Chief Deputy Jerry Widows, whose counties have longstanding 287(g) partnerships under the Jail Enforcement Model (JEM). Both expressed confidence in the program’s success in Wicomico County.
Although Wicomico County Council approval was not required for the partnership, Giordano stated she has a majority of support from members.
Wicomico is the ninth county in Maryland to enter into a 287(g) agreement. The county has submitted signed paperwork to ICE and is awaiting acceptance. Giordano said training for the program is quick — an eight-hour course that ICE will conduct locally. “We just could not afford to send our officers for a four-week training,” she explained.
Giordano concluded that the goal of the partnership is to keep the community safe. “I can’t even imagine the havoc that’s happening in Minnesota and how the average person is feeling. They feel scared, they don’t know what’s happening. If I can keep that from happening by having it happen behind bars and behind these walls, I’m going to do that.”
