Immigrants Rally For Deportation Protection In MD: 'ICE Has No Place In Our Schools'

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Hundreds rallied for immigrant protections Tuesday in Annapolis, condemning the mass deportations ordered by the White House.

With chants of "The people, united, will never be divided" and "Yes we can," the crowd called for legislation:

• Protecting sensitive locations such as churches and schools from immigration enforcement.
• Denying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unfettered access to state databases.
• Limiting police departments' partnership with ICE for immigration enforcement.

Immigration lobbyist and nonprofit CASA hosted the rally at Lawyers' Mall outside the Maryland State House.

"These policies will make sure that kids are not afraid to go to school," CASA policy analyst Ninfa Amador Hernandez told Patch in an exclusive interview after the event. "These policies are going to make sure that our local and state resources are not being used to prolong and to support the deportation machine of the administration."

Amador Hernandez, an immigrant from Honduras, said she's seeing President Donald Trump (R) "just go crazy" with "executive orders that attack our immigrant community." She pointed to his attempt to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents living in the country illegally.

CASA is one of several groups suing to block the changes to birthright citizenship, which guarantees citizenship via the 14th Amendment to anybody born in the U.S.

Spanish singers kickstarted Tuesday's event while attendees snacked on taquitos and rice. Participants ranged from students to elder residents, immigrants to allies. Groups in attendance included the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Jews United For Justice and African Communities Together.

Rallygoers carried signs saying "My mother works harder than the president" and "Nobody is illegal on stolen land." Others read: "Love has no borders," "I speak for those who can't without fear" and "Education not deportation." Some carried the Mexican and Salvadoran flags.

Immigration enforcement has been a priority for Trump. ICE operations around the nation have left undocumented immigrants wary, though conservatives concerned about border crossings have applauded the deportations.

The bills endorsed by CASA would make it tougher for ICE to operate in Maryland.

The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act would "limit immigration enforcement at sensitive locations to the fullest extent possible consistent with federal and state law."

The legislation, dubbed HB1006, defines sensitive locations as schools, health care facilities, houses of worship, places where children gather, social services establishments, disaster relief locations, funerals, public demonstrations, courthouses and "any other location deemed appropriate by the attorney general."

Bill co-sponsor Del. Jared Solomon (D-Montgomery County) promised to "fight like hell" to protect immigrants.

"ICE has no place in our schools. ICE has no place in our hospitals. ICE has no places in our houses of worship," said Solomon, who's also the co-chair of the Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus. "We in Maryland are not to blame for a broken immigration system at the federal level that has for too long kept our communities down and split families apart."

Fellow Montgomery County Democrat Del. Lorig Charkoudian is sponsoring the Data Privacy Act. The bill, which has not yet been formally introduced in the Maryland General Assembly would require a warrant signed by a judge for ICE to access state databases.

"We protect the privacy of all of our residents. We protect the immigrants in our community," said Charkoudian, the granddaughter of refugees. "We are not going to use any state resources for things that should be paid for by the federal government, and we are not going to compromise our values."

Sen. Clarence Lam, a Democrat representing Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, is co-sponsoring the privacy bill. Lam said he also introduced legislation during Trump's first term to limit ICE's use of facial recognition on Maryland driver's licenses.

"The threat is here again," Lam said. "No one from the federal government should be doing a fishing expedition through our state databases ... We have a long road ahead of us. We see these ridiculous executive orders coming out day after day after day."

Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George's County) is sponsoring the Maryland Values Act, which would prohibit certain law enforcement cooperation with ICE. The legislation has not yet been officially introduced.

Williams and CASA said Cecil, Frederick and Harford Counties all have agreements with ICE that let local police officers carry out immigration enforcement duties. These deals, known as 287(g) agreements, require four weeks of training for the affiliated officers.

CASA believes that isn't enough training. They also think the agreements could disincentivize undocumented immigrants from calling the police, reporting crimes and sharing tips.

Williams alleges that the program is "funneling people into the deportation system and "deputizing local law enforcement to carry out ICE's agenda."

"The only thing that these programs do is increase the incidents of profiling, violating people's civil rights and really harming public safety. They do not help make our communities safer. In fact, they do the complete opposite," Williams said.

CASA member Julia Fernandez of Baltimore City supported the Maryland Values Act to end 287(g) agreements.

Fernandez, an immigrant from Honduras, said she became a U.S. citizen after living here for 40 years.

"I never imagined that there would be a president in office who detests our immigrant community," Fernandez said. "Since this president took over, we have seen policies that target our immigrant community. Separating families, discriminating and calling us criminals. And we are not criminals. Just for the simple reason that we want a better future for our families."

Fernandez urged lawmakers to pass the Maryland Values Act to "stand on the right side, stand in history, stand with our families and stand for justice."

"We are the backbone of this country and this state. We do the dirty work for very little wages. We work hard and pay taxes," Fernandez said. "Policies like Act 287(g) tell Mr. Trump that it's okay to abuse our community ... That's not the Maryland that I know."

Patch requested comments from ICE and the Maryland Freedom Caucus, a conservative group of state lawmakers that launched last month. Neither immediately responded. We will update this article if they reply.

Related:

• Do MD Police Work With ICE? Annapolis Immigration Rally To Push New Laws
• If ICE Comes To Schools: MD Issues Guidance For Staff, Police