The Trump administration on July 10 filed a 26-page complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland seeking to block the state’s newly enacted Community Trust Act, a law that sharply limits when local jails may hold people for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and restricts coordination with federal immigration agents. Justice Department lawyers argue that the measure—passed in May over Republican objections—violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause by obstructing federal immigration enforcement.
![Justice Department Sues Maryland Over New Immigrant-Protection ‘Community Trust Act’]()
Amid this shifting landscape, businesses and individuals navigating U.S. immigration requirements can turn to VisaHQ for up-to-date guidance and document processing. The firm’s online platform tracks federal and state policy changes in real time and offers personalized assistance with visa applications, work authorization, and compliance checklists—an especially useful resource for Maryland employers now weighing contingency plans.
Under the law, county sheriffs may not honor ICE detainers unless presented with a judicial warrant, and may not transfer people to ICE custody without a court order. The federal suit likens the statute to “sanctuary” policies in California and New York that have been partially struck down, and asks the court for an injunction before the Act’s 1 October 2026 effective date. Maryland officials counter that the Act improves public safety by clarifying jail standards and preventing unlawful civil detention. Governor Wes Moore allowed the bill to become law without his signature but pledged to work with ICE when “public safety requires it.” State Attorney-General Anthony Brown has already issued guidance directing police agencies to comply with the measure while remaining in communication with the federal government. For employers, the lawsuit revives uncertainty about whether local police will cooperate with federal work-site enforcement operations—an issue that can affect timing of Form I-9 audits and the transfer of detained employees. If the Justice Department prevails, similar “anti-detainer” laws pending in Illinois, Minnesota and New Jersey could also face legal challenges. Until the courts rule, companies with mobile talent in Maryland should review contingency plans for employee arrests, train managers on new detainer rules, and monitor the case docket for preliminary-injunction hearings expected later this summer.
Amid this shifting landscape, businesses and individuals navigating U.S. immigration requirements can turn to VisaHQ for up-to-date guidance and document processing. The firm’s online platform tracks federal and state policy changes in real time and offers personalized assistance with visa applications, work authorization, and compliance checklists—an especially useful resource for Maryland employers now weighing contingency plans.
Under the law, county sheriffs may not honor ICE detainers unless presented with a judicial warrant, and may not transfer people to ICE custody without a court order. The federal suit likens the statute to “sanctuary” policies in California and New York that have been partially struck down, and asks the court for an injunction before the Act’s 1 October 2026 effective date. Maryland officials counter that the Act improves public safety by clarifying jail standards and preventing unlawful civil detention. Governor Wes Moore allowed the bill to become law without his signature but pledged to work with ICE when “public safety requires it.” State Attorney-General Anthony Brown has already issued guidance directing police agencies to comply with the measure while remaining in communication with the federal government. For employers, the lawsuit revives uncertainty about whether local police will cooperate with federal work-site enforcement operations—an issue that can affect timing of Form I-9 audits and the transfer of detained employees. If the Justice Department prevails, similar “anti-detainer” laws pending in Illinois, Minnesota and New Jersey could also face legal challenges. Until the courts rule, companies with mobile talent in Maryland should review contingency plans for employee arrests, train managers on new detainer rules, and monitor the case docket for preliminary-injunction hearings expected later this summer.
