February 4th, 2026
by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
February 2, 2026
https://marylandmatters.org/2026/02/02/house-brushes-aside-gop-amendments-advances-immigration-enforcement-restriction/
The House gave preliminary approval in a brief Monday night session to a bill that would prohibit cooperative agreements between local police and federal immigration agencies, rejecting a series of Republican amendments that had stretched over two days.
By advancing House Bill 444 in just 30 minutes of debate Monday, the House sets up a final vote Tuesday, the same day the Senate is scheduled to take a final vote on an identical Senate version of the bill that targets so-called 287(g) agreements.
Because both bills are emergency measures, which take effect immediately upon enactment, they will require approval by three-fifths of their respective chambers. But in preliminary votes, both chambers have easily cleared that bar.
The measures are being fast-tracked through the General Assembly, just weeks into the 2026 legislative session, at a time of heightened national debate over the increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement tactics adopted by the Trump administration. Those tactics led to the fatal shootings last month of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — by federal immigration officers.
Nine sheriff’s departments in the state currently have 287(g) agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In Maryland, the agreements are used for detainers: If local police have a suspect in another crime who they learn is undocumented, they can hold that person for 48 hours to hand over to ICE.
Currently, Cecil, Frederick and Harford counties have agreements to process individuals in local detention centers and then hand to ICE. Allegany, Carroll, Garrett, St. Mary’s and Washington entered into agreements last year, and can serve administrative warrants in a local jail. Wicomico County Julie Giordano (R) announced on social media last month that her county had approved an agreement for a warrant-based model.
Critics have argued that local police have no business doing the work of federal immigration agents, and that the agreements engender mistrust in immigrant communities for local police, making those communities less safe.
But supporters say the agreements allow for an orderly transfer of undocumented immigrants to federal authorities. No local officer is being put on the street to enforce the agreement, which is all performed in the jailhouse, they say.
HB 444, sponsored by Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George’s), first hit the House floor Friday, when Republican delegates unsuccessfully offered five amendments that would have weakened the bill. After about 90 minutes of debate, Del. Robin Grammer Jr. (R-Baltimore County) was presenting a sixth amendment when he asked to lay the amendment and bill over for a day.
It was the second time in as many days the House Republicans used House rules to delay action for a day on bills they didn’t like, after stalling action Thursday on a bill to redraw the state’s congressional districts. House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) conceded Friday that “those are the rules,” but warned the chamber about overuse of the rule, threatening weekend sessions if necessary to keep the legislature on track.
Debate resumend Monday on Grammer’s amendment, which would require local authorities to inform ICE representatives at least 48 hours before a person detained is released. He said the amendment ensures the state wouldn’t “handcuff our law enforcement.”
Williams, who served as floor leader for her bill, said the 48-hour notice is already part of the law. The amendment was rejected 100-36.
There was a light moment when Grammer, introducing another amendment, was interrupted when his cell phone rang. “Kids are calling. Sorry,” he said to Peña-Melnyk.
“You want to stop and go get it? I always take my kid’s calls,” Peña-Melnyk, eliciting a few laughs on the House floor.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Grammer instead returned to his amendment, which would have abolished arrest quotas, police enforcement via drones, unmanned aerial surveillance without a warrant and no-knock warrants by police. Williams urged the House to reject the amendment, noting that the topics in it will be debated in other legislation later this month before the House Judiciary Committee.
“They’re just not applicable [or] proper in this bill,” Williams said of the elements in Grammer’s amendment, which would strictly apply to local law enforcement.
That amendment was rejected 118-12. The bill now moves to final House approval.
After the House adjourned Monday, House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy (R-Frederick) said to reporters the 287(g) program has been in the state “with a lot less drama” than other parts of the country. Frederick County has had a deal with ICE since 2008, the longest-running such agreement in the state.
“I think that the majority party has chosen politics over public safety,” Pippy said. “I think what they’re doing is they’re going for the low hanging fruit. Once again, they’re passing legislation because they’re mad at what they see related to federal policies or this [federal] administration. I think it’s unfortunate.”
— Maryland Matters reporter Bryan P. Sears contributed to this story.
Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.
