BEL AIR, MD – Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler is criticizing Maryland lawmakers for advancing efforts to end the state’s participation in a federal jail enforcement initiative known as the 287(g) program. Gahler’s statement followed two recent incidents in which federal agents opened fire in self-defense after drivers allegedly tried to run them over—one in Maryland and another in Minnesota.
In a post shared by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Gahler argued that such confrontations highlight why immigration-related enforcement is safest when conducted within jails through established partnerships between local facilities and federal agencies.
“The safest way to provide this type of enforcement is in our jails,” the post read, echoing Gahler’s warning that the Maryland General Assembly is “making a grave mistake” by seeking to terminate the 287(g) jail model.
Under the 287(g) program, local law enforcement agencies collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify and process individuals in custody for potential immigration violations. Supporters say it improves public safety and limits dangerous street-level operations, while opponents argue it can erode community trust and blur jurisdictional boundaries.
State lawmakers have signaled interest in ending Maryland’s participation in the program during the upcoming legislative session, part of a broader push to restrict local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Sheriff Gahler contends that removing the program would compromise both officer and public safety by forcing more enforcement actions onto the streets.
