Protecting the Privacy of
Maryland Drivers

ICE uses the personal information of Maryland drivers to target and deport immigrants without any oversight or accountability. The Maryland legislature came together in passing a bill to stop this from happening and now they need to come together once more. 

In 2013, the Maryland legislature voted to extend driving privileges to every qualified person regardless of immigration status. The purpose of that law was to ensure that everyone who needs to drive, in order to live their lives and take care of their families, can do so in a legal and regulated way – so that no one would end up in immigration court because they were forced to drive without a license.

Since then, ICE has been targeting states like Maryland that have extended driving privileges to undocumented immigrants. ICE has been detaining and deporting residents in states like Maryland with laws that were meant to increase community safety. Without any oversight or monitoring, ICE can log into Maryland’s law enforcement database and conduct wide ranging searches of MVA records. 

Earlier this year the Maryland legislature voted in favor of passing the Maryland Driver Privacy Act (HB23) which would prevent ICE from working with the MVA and keep the personal records on innocent Maryland residents safe. Governor Hogan vetoed this and now in the upcoming Maryland special legislative session have the chance to bring the bill back to life. The legislators must override the Governor’s veto so that Marylanders no longer have to fear that an ICE agent will one day suddenly appear at their door. 

Requires that ICE officers get a warrant before searching data or scanning photos held by MVA or other Maryland agencies. 

Ensures that ICE can’t get around this warrant rule by going to a middleman or a data broker. 

Ensures that ICE doesn’t have direct access to Maryland databases – they have to go through state officials.

Makes Maryland agencies report on how many of these requests they get from ICE and how many they answer. 

During this special legislative session, Maryland lawmakers must override the Governor’s veto, that way Marylanders can regain their trust in the system and know that the state will not do anything to hurt their livelihood and break families up.