Hogan On Trump Immigration Plan: 'Solution In Search Of A Problem'

Gov. Larry Hogan says President Trump’s latest initiative on immigration is “a solution in search of a problem.”

“It just doesn’t make any sense to me,” Hogan told WBAL NewsRadio 1090 during an appearance in Baltimore.

“It’s like coming up with a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. Legal immigration isn’t the problem in the country, hasn’t been a problem, and I just don’t know what the reason was to bring it up.

“They [the Trump administration] did a lot of talk about illegal immigration, and they have come up with no policy, and now they are focused on legal immigration, where we don’t seem to have a problem.”

On Wednesday, the president proposed legislation to make the legal immigration system more "merit-based" for skilled English speakers. He says it would keep out people who will just end up collecting welfare. He provided no information to support his statement.

Hogan's comments came before Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a letter to officials in Baltimore and other cities telling them they risk losing federal crime fighting resources if they don't cooperate with federal immigration officials.

Mayor Catherine Pugh told reporters at City Hall today that Sessions does not know that the state runs the jail in Baltimore City. “That’s a state issue,” Pugh told reporters at City Hall today.

“Perhaps he’ll (Sessions) get some more information and learn how the process works in Baltimore City.”

Gerard Shields, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, which runs Baltimore City’s Central Booking said the Department has cooperated with federal immigration officials since the Obama Administration requested the cooperation in 2015.

“When an arrest is made, a notification is sent to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who alert the jail if they have a detainer on the person and 48 hours before the completion of local charges, the jail notifies ICE that a person in custody is scheduled to be released,” Shields told WBAL NewsRadio 1090.

"Since January 2015, ICE has not requested that the Department of Corrections hold any detainee or inmate in custody past the completion of local charges. However, the Department remains open and fully committed to our strong working relationship with our federal partners and will continue taking any steps necessary to ensure that violent criminals are removed and kept off the streets. Ultimately, any request would be considered on a case by case basis."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.