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April 21, 2014

Maryland, Oregon Curb Immigration Holds for Federal Agents 
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Federal immigration policy is coming under increasing resistance at the
state and local level. On Friday, Maryland announced it will no longer
automatically hold prisoners at the request of U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE). The federal government has used the program
Secure Communities to get local police forces to hand over immigrant
detainees for potential deportation. The Baltimore City Detention Center
says it will now grant those requests only if the detainee has been
charged with or convicted of a serious crime. Baltimore's shift comes
after similar moves in Philadelphia and in Oregon. Sheriffs in nine
Oregon counties now say they would not comply with federal immigration
detainers at all. The decision came after a state judge ruled an
immigrant detainee's rights were violated. She was held for 19 hours
after she should have been released so federal agents could take her
into custody.

 

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