The Justice Department filed a lawsuit in federal court against Maryland and its attorney general, Anthony Brown, on Thursday.
The suit takes issue with the state’s sanctuary policies for curtailing cooperation between state facilities and immigration authorities on federal immigration law enforcement.
Officials said Maryland facilities refuse routine detainers for transferring individuals illegally in the country to federal custody, leading to operational problems for federal officers. The complaint alleges the policies are preempted by federal law under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
“Federal immigration officers merely enforce the laws that our Nation’s elected representatives in Congress passed, reflecting the will of We the People,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said in a statement. “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. Today’s suit proves that this Department will never stand for such lawless action from blue state leaders.”…