Community Trust Act Passes!
Maryland Just Power Alliance leaders join with allies from CASA to speak with legislators in Annapolis about the Community Trust Act.
We are excited that the Community Trust Act (SB791) passed the Maryland House and Senate!
This important law will stop local and state police in Maryland from collaborating with ICE by notifying ICE or transferring people into ICE custody.
The Community Trust Act will close off a destructive pipeline transferring people, who may not have been charged or convicted of any crime, from police custody to ICE. It will strengthen communities’ trust in local and state law enforcement by keeping them focused on public safety rather than immigration enforcement.
The law puts the following restrictions on staff in jails and prisons:
Cannot ask about or investigate citizenship or immigration status.
Cannot detain or transfer individuals to federal immigration authorities without a valid judicial warrant.
Cannot coerce, intimidate,or threaten based on actual or perceived immigration status.
Exceptions exist for routine booking or legal protections.
The law puts the following restrictions on police and other law enforcement:
Cannot ask about immigration status during stops or arrests.
Cannot detain based solely on suspected civil immigration violations.
Cannot notify federal authorities that someone is in custody unless required by a valid court order.
Our allies at CASA led the campaign for the Community Trust Act, and the Maryland Just Power Alliance played an important supporting role. Our members sent over 100 emails to our State Senators and Delegates in support of the Community Trust Act.
Several of our members also showed up in Annapolis together with our allies from CASA to do “bird dogging” for the bill. We briefly engaged senators as they were moving between meetings and asked for their commitment on the bill.
Congratulations to all our members and partners who advocated for this important protection for immigrants!
Read more about the Community Trust Act here.
