Full Breakdown
Justice Department Sues Maryland Over “Community Trust Act” Limiting ICE Cooperation
7/12/2026, 4:42:49 AM
Federal Lawsuit Targets Maryland’s Community Trust Act
On Thursday, July 10 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland seeking a permanent injunction against Senate Bill 791, known as the Community Trust Act. The DOJ argues the law violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause by prohibiting state and local law-enforcement officers from honoring ICE detainers, complying with civil immigration warrants, or providing information to federal immigration authorities. The complaint invokes the federal preemption doctrine and cites the 2025 Laken Riley Act, which mandates detention of illegal immigrants accused of theft, burglary, assault on a law-enforcement officer, or crimes causing death or serious injury.
Legislative Background of the Community Trust Act
The Community Trust Act was passed by a Democratic supermajority in the Maryland General Assembly earlier in 2026 and took effect at the end of May 2026. In addition to restricting cooperation with ICE, the legislation bans 287(g) agreements that allow local agencies to enforce federal immigration law. Governor Wes Moore allowed the bill to become law without signing it, noting ambiguities in joint investigations that his office was working to clarify.
Key Actors
- U.S. Department of Justice, represented by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.
- Governor Wes Moore, Maryland’s chief executive, whose spokesperson Rhyan Lake issued a statement on the law.
- Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, defendant in the lawsuit and author of guidance limiting cooperation.
- Senator Clarence K. Lam (D-Howard), sponsor of the Community Trust Act.
- Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Carroll), vocal opponent of the law.
Data & Statistics
- The law forced nine Maryland sheriff’s offices, including the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, to terminate long-standing 287(g) partnerships.
- The DOJ’s litigation tracker shows the department has sued seven other states over similar “sanctuary” policies.
- The Community Trust Act was enacted as an emergency measure during the final weeks of the legislative session.
Official Statements & Responses
The DOJ’s filing asserts that the federal government possesses “well-established, pre-eminent, and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters” derived from the Constitution, congressional acts, and Supreme Court precedent. It contends the Community Trust Act “obstructs federal immigration law enforcement” and “threatens public safety.”
Attorney General Brown’s office issued guidance stating the law “dramatically limit[s] the circumstances under which jails and police can facilitate the removal of an undocumented immigrant,” but clarifies that exceptions remain when a non-citizen is convicted of a serious crime, when a valid judicial warrant or court order is presented, or when personal information is relevant to a federal criminal investigation.
Criticism & Opposition
Republican lawmakers, led by Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready, described the act as “one of the most dangerous and wrong bills” to pass the State House. The DOJ maintains that the statute “subverts the ability of the federal government to enforce immigration law.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The DOJ portrays the Community Trust Act as a broad prohibition on ICE cooperation, while Brown’s guidance emphasizes limited, case-by-case exceptions. The attorney general declined to comment on the litigation, and no court hearing date has been disclosed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “When sanctuary jurisdictions enact laws to shield illegal aliens from federal law enforcement, it is not merely federal law that is violated, but the voices of everyday American voters silenced.” — Stanley Woodward, Associate Attorney General
- “Governor Moore has been clear: Maryland will work with the federal government when that coordination makes our people safer – but we will not let Donald Trump’s untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents deputize our law enforcement officers to do immigration work,” — Rhyan Lake, spokesperson for Gov. Wes Moore
- “All it is saying is that our state resources cannot be commandeered by, from my perspective, an out-of-control federal agency like ICE to enforce federal immigration law,” — Clarence K. Lam, State Senator and bill sponsor
- “one of the most dangerous and wrong bills” — Justin Ready, Senate Minority Whip
What’s Next
The Justice Department has asked the federal court to issue a permanent injunction barring enforcement of the Community Trust Act. The case will proceed in the District of Maryland, where a hearing date has yet to be scheduled.
