BALTIMORE — In response to the new Trump administration seeking to accomplish its immigration agenda right away, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott says the city will not be changing any of its policies.
The city does not, however, plan to take any further actions after a new directive from Homeland Security makes it easier for law enforcement to go after people illegally in the country in places that used to be off limits, like schools, churches and hospitals.
“We’ll look at every legal option that we have to protect our residents period. But we will not do anything illegal," Scott said.
The Mayor expressed concerns over the slew of changes in D.C., but not surprise.
"This is what happens when you put chickens out in the barnyard, they always come to home to roost," he said.
It's waiting and watching while the police force remains focused on its objective of crime prevention.
"I will not be directing my police officers to not focus on taking guns off the street, taking murderers off the street, preventing robberies, preventing carjackers to simply just go after someone who's an immigrant. If that person is a criminal, then they are already part of that focus," he said.
The city does not consider itself a "Sanctuary City" but rather a "Welcoming City."
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"We don’t use that term intentionally. One: because of the politically charged nature around it and two: it’s very important to note that when people talk about Sanctuary Cities they focus particularly on what happens when people are detained and put in detention facilities, of which Baltimore does not run any," Scott explained.
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"I think there's a lot of desperation and uncertainty. For so many they don't know what the impact of these executives orders will have on their children, on their families, on future employment," President and CEO of Global Refuge Krish O'Mara Vignarajah said.
The Migration Policy Institute estimates there are 225,000 unauthorized immigrants living in Maryland.
"You know this is not a scalpel approach, this is really a sledgehammer," she said.
They're tracking accounts of potential ICE raids across the country, though have not heard of anything reported or verified in Baltimore nor has the Mayor's office.
The Justice Department has also ordered local officials be investigated if they are believed to be interfering with the administration's goals.
"When you think of some of the biggest freedom fighters in the world whether it be Dr. King, whether it be Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, a
ll of those folks have been put in jail for some period of time for simply doing the right thing. That does not scare me," Scott said.
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Baltimore County Delegate Nino Magione (R) has introduced the Rachel Morin Act this session, a bill that would prevent municipalities from adopting or enforcing Sanctuary policies.
He sharply criticized the city's approach in a statement to WMAR 2 News:
"This behavior from the failed Mayor and City Council should not shock anyone. These are the same people whose policies have destroyed Baltimore by allowing rampant crime, drug trafficking, poor education, and total mismanagement of the city.
I think the federal government should withhold every dollar of federal aid for any reason from Baltimore if the City and its failed leaders do not comply with the new policies concerning illegal aliens. It is also time we get the language correct concerning this crisis and stop referring to these individuals as undocumented residents. They are in the United States illegally and thus they are illegal aliens and should be considered and treated as such. The rule of law must prevail and if Baltimore does not wish to comply Baltimore should not benefit from one nickel of federal monies. "
Global Refuge also works closely with the Refugee Resettlement Program, a bipartisan effort that is now indefinitely paused by Executive Order.
In Focus: Proposed immigration legislation in the Maryland General Assembly
"We have seen clients’ flights canceled without any plan to reschedule them no plans to reschedule," Vignarajah said.
They were slated to resettle 1,100 refugees in Maryland this year 200 of which were to be placed for the first time in the city of Baltimore.
"With Baltimore's population decline immigration is a part of the solution," she said. "It is incredibly important for our community to continue to be welcoming not just because it's the right thing to do but because it's the smart thing to do for us," she said.
