FAIR, 17 Maryland Sheriffs Sue to Stop State's New Sanctuary Law

Complaint details fatal conflicts with federal law

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, representing Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler of Harford County, Maryland, and sixteen other Maryland sheriffs, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) filed a lawsuit in Maryland federal district court attacking the state's newly-enacted, so-called "Community Trust Act," a sanctuary law that blocks sheriffs from cooperating and sharing information with federal immigration law enforcement. The sheriffs contend that this law will make their communities less safe, and that it is unconstitutional because it violates the supremacy of federal law set forth in the U.S. Constitution.

As the complaint demonstrates, Maryland's sanctuary law stands as an obstacle to Congress's purposes in the immigration laws, such as apprehending and removing illegal aliens, removing aliens who have committed dangerous crimes, and fostering federal-state cooperation in immigration law enforcement. In this way, the sanctuary law conflicts with federal law, and is preempted under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.

The complaint also shows that the sanctuary law conflicts with federal law because it commands sheriffs and their deputies to commit the federal crime of harboring removable aliens. For example, if federal authorities ask a sheriff for the date a criminal alien will be released from custody, and the sheriff refuses to say, he thereafter is concealing where that alien is from federal authorities, in violation of the harboring law. Because Maryland's sanctuary law thereby makes it impossible to obey both federal law and state law, it presents a textbook case of conflict preemption.

"Sanctuary laws are not only dangerous to our communities, but they are also flatly unconstitutional," said Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of FAIR. "Our nation must speak with one voice when dealing with the national problem of illegal immigration, and the federal government must be able to pursue a unified policy, or the supremacy of federal law is in name only. The aim of this lawsuit is to allow Maryland sheriffs to go on keeping their communities safe by striking down this law's blatant interference with crucially important national objectives."

The case is Gahler, et al. v. Moore, No. 8:26-cv-02057-SAG (D. Md.)

Contact: Ira Mehlman, (213) 700-0407, [email protected]

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

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SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)