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Opposing groups probe immigration policies in Md.

By: Kathleen Miller
Examiner Staff Writer
January 2, 2009

Two organizations with opposing concerns about illegal-immigration enforcement are reviewing county policies across Maryland and laying the groundwork for potential lawsuits aimed at how local jurisdictions handle immigration issues.

Leaders of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland are seeking information from all 23 Maryland counties, plus the city of Baltimore, about immigration-related issues. They want the details of every publicly enacted ordinance or internal policy that directs police, social services agencies, real estate agents, landlords and local employers to classify or treat people differently due to immigration status.

“By interacting with other ACLU affiliates in other states, we have come across examples of counties having informal or unwritten procedures about proving citizenship and what to do with immigrants once they are detained,” said Ajmel Quereshi, a lawyer and ACLU fellow. “We wanted to see if this is happening in Maryland.”

Quereshi cited Anne Arundel County, Frederick County and Gaithersburg policies he considers “anti-immigration ordinances” that give the ACLU cause for concern.

Brad Botwin, founder of anti-illegal-immigration group Help Save Maryland, said his group is filing a “piggyback” request to be copied on all information given to the ACLU.

“We will track their every move on this so we can counter anything they may decide to do in the future,” Botwin said. “They are going after jurisdictions like Frederick County that have taken the important step of going after illegal aliens in their community. They say that’s racial profiling. I just don’t see it.”

Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold forbids contractors to hire illegal immigrants to work on county projects, and police in Frederick County have been trained to enforce federal immigration laws. In Gaithersburg, City Council members passed an anti-solicitation ordinance two years ago that made looking for work or workers along city streets a misdemeanor, a move some complained targeted immigrant day laborers. Last spring, Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler said the rule ran afoul of the First Amendment and Maryland’s vehicle laws and city leaders began exploring other options.

Quereshi stopped short of saying that the ACLU would sue counties over their local immigration policies. “We want to get a sense of whether laws are being discriminatorily enforced against immigrants,” Quereshi said. “Once that is done, we’ll see if individual cases raise constitutional concerns.”



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Reader Comments

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GoldenGlider

Jan 2, 2009

The ACLU is just a bunch of bullies determined to hurt America and Americans. If the ACLU is using a Maryland Freedom of Info Act as the basis for the request, I think they will fail when it comes to "informal or unwritten procedures" because the Counties do not have to reveal that stuff under FOIA and the Counties will not have to reveal it. Help Save Maryland (HSM) is just too smart for the ACLU anarchists. The ACLU has met their match. Good for Botwin and all the other leaders of HSM. The ACLU belongs on "Evil Watch".

 

Antu Commies

Jan 2, 2009

The ACLU is what is killing this country Maryland stand against this onslaught from the communists

 

Stop Illegals Please

Jan 2, 2009

ACLU is wacko!

 

Delaware Bob

Jan 2, 2009

The ACLU is part of the problem and not part of the solution for this illegal immigration. An end MUST come to this illegal immigration. The best tool we have so far is E-Verify. It MUST be used on ALL businesses and Government Social Services. EVERY employee must be checked! If they are illegal, they are to be dismissed! I believe it is time for all 50 States to pass a State law, like Arizona, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and a few others. It is time for these ILLEGAL ALIENS to go back to their home Country and get out of this Country. The problems they are causing will not go away until the ILLEGAL ALIENS are out of this Country. NO ILLEGAL ALIEN HAS A RIGHT TO BE IN THIS COUNTRY FOR ANY REASON! It's time for them to pick up their ANCHORS and ship out!

 

Immigration Anarchy will be Stopped

Jan 3, 2009

The marxist/socialist aclu should reveal that is no longer working for U.S. interests but has now changed to represent the 6+ billion people who want to crash our borders Illegally and be rewarded for it !! NUMBERSUSA ALIPAC CAPSWEB SaveOurState

 

Help Save Maryland

Jan 3, 2009

Join us in the fight against illegal immigration in Maryland! www.HelpSaveMaryland.com

 

Native MD

Jan 4, 2009

If you do not stop illegal immigration, you will turn Maryland into a third world ghetto, Virginia is better now since we got the illegal alliens out of the state.

 


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