Two GOP-led MD counties scramble after being labeled as ‘sanctuary’ areas

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Two Republican-led counties were among the Maryland jurisdictions that the Trump administration has included in its list of “sanctuary” jurisdictions, baffling local officials and sending them scrambling to correct what they see as a false designation.

UPDATE: List of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ removed from DHS website following criticism

Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties, both Eastern Shore areas that Trump won in 2024, were among more than 500 jurisdictions across the country that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has put on notice for allegedly obstructing immigration enforcement and the president’s vision for mass deportations.

The jurisdictions could lose federal funding or face “legal remedies and enforcement measures” to force compliance, according to DHS.

“These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press release.

Eight counties and 10 municipalities in Maryland were among the listed jurisdictions, which are expected to receive a formal notice of their noncompliance and a demand from DHS that they review and revise their policies to align with federal immigration laws.

Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties, both historically red areas, stood out in a list of mostly Democrat-led jurisdictions in deep-blue Maryland.

Queen Anne’s has had the same Republican sheriff since 2006 and all five county commissioners are Republican. Trump won the county handily in 2024, 2020 and 2016.

Talbot is more purple, with three Republicans and two Democrats on its county council. Trump won the county by only six votes in 2024.

But the county has had a Republican sheriff since 2014 and, like Queen Anne’s, each of its state representatives is a Republican.

The DHS website states that the list of sanctuary jurisdictions is subject to change and will be regularly updated, but as of early Friday afternoon local officials in Queen Anne’s County were scrambling to put out a statement rejecting the designation.

State Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, who represents Queen Anne’s and other counties along the northern part of the Eastern Shore, flatly called the designation “inaccurate.”

He said the county hasn’t adopted or supported sanctuary policies, concealed or shielded people who are in the country illegally, violated federal immigration law, nor required or encouraged an employee to ignore or defy federal law.

“This false designation is misleading and does not reflect the values, policies, or enforcement practices of our community,” Hershey said in a statement.

The minority leader said he’ll be working with county officials to formally request that the Trump administration remove Queen Anne’s County from its list of sanctuary jurisdictions and to urge federal agencies to issue a public correction.

“We take our commitment to public safety seriously, and inaccurate political labeling undermines both trust in our institutions and the integrity of our county,” Hershey said.

A spokesperson for Talbot County said that, prior to seeing the sanctuary designation, local officials hadn’t received notice or indication from the Trump administration that any local laws or policies were out of compliance with federal immigration laws.

The county has followed “all applicable federal laws” and hasn’t taken “any deliberate actions to obstruct their enforcement” or adopted recent changes to local immigration policies or practices, said County Manager Clay Stamp.

“We welcome further information and guidance from the federal government so we can address any pertinent issues,” Stamp said in a statement.

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement often seeks help from state and local agencies and authorities for locating and sometimes detaining people wanted for deportation until federal officers can assume custody.

In some cases, ICE enlists this support though 287(g) agreements with local law enforcement agencies, allowing local officers to assume immigration enforcement duties and expanding ICE’s reach.

Nationally, the number of jurisdictions under these agreements has skyrocketed since Trump took office in January.

During the 2025 legislative session in Maryland, state Democrats considered prohibiting local agencies from entering 287(g) agreements as part of a bill meant to protect immigrant communities, but they abandoned the prohibition in the session’s closing hours, at least in part because of the potential for blowback from Trump and his allies.

The Trump administration has repeatedly targeted communities, states and jurisdictions that it says aren’t doing enough to help ICE as its officers try to enact the president’s campaign promise to remove millions of people in the country illegally.

Trump signed an executive order in April requiring DHS and the U.S. attorney general to publish a list of states and local jurisdictions that they considered to be obstructing federal immigration laws.

If the “sanctuary jurisdictions” are notified and the Trump administration later determines that they “remain in defiance,” federal agencies can then pursue whatever “legal remedies and enforcement measures” they consider necessary to make them comply.

(The Associated Press contributed to this article.)