Kamenetz Signs Order Protecting Immigrants In Country Illegally

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz on Wednesday took a stand against President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement policies.

Kamenetz announced he signed an executive order formalizing current police practices, which bar officers from profiling residents based on immigration status. Furthermore, he said the county detention center won't hold anyone past their release date without a court order of detainer.

LISTEN: Kamenetz talks about the order with WBAL's Phil Yacuboski

“As an attorney, I am confident that the presidential effort to investigate and detain immigrants is contrary to the Constitution, and Baltimore County will not disregard the law protecting individual rights," Kamenetz said in a statement. "The president's directives are causing fear and panic among otherwise law abiding residents. I am particularly concerned about the impact on children, and the chilling effect that is impacting productive police-community relations. Children are afraid to go to school, women are afraid to report domestic abuse, and families are afraid to seek medical care in a hospital out of the fear of deportation. We won’t let that happen in Baltimore County. Today’s executive order will make that crystal clear.”

Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Department of Justice would seek to cut off, and even claw back, federal public safety grants from jurisdictions not cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers.

Baltimore County was not named in a recent ICE report listing jurisdictions that had declined or said they would decline such detainers. Prince George's and Montgomery counties, however, were.

“For an administration that claims to value our constitution and our American values, you certainly would not know it by their obvious lack of knowledge of the 10th amendment,” said Kamenetz. “The 10th amendment to the Constitution prohibits the federal government from withholding funds to coerce counties to conform to federal policies unrelated to the appropriation."

Kamenetz said his order will help maintain community trust in police, and expressed confidence Sessions' decision would be struck down in court.

Under the Kamenetz order issued Wednesday, no county police officer can ask about someone's immigration status just to initiate civil enforcement of immigration proceedings unless there's a criminal warrant for that person. No police or corrections officer can keep someone detained beyond their court-ordered release date unless they have reason to believe a court (not a federal agency alone) has issued an order to keep holding them.

The order says county police can still cooperate with federal immigration authorities in investigating and arresting people in the country illegally if they're suspected of criminal activity.

Gov. Larry Hogan has said he would veto a bill in Annapolis that would enshrine the same policies in state law.