March 24, 2021
Dear President Ferguson,
We, over 130+ organizations, faith groups, and unions, write to you, calling your leadership to bring the Maryland Trust Act (SB88/HB304) for a vote in the Judicial Proceedings Committee and through the Senate for passage.
Earlier this session, we watched you share your powerful remarks in the Senate chamber in support of extending the Earned Income Tax Credit to all Maryland taxpayers. You spoke of your friends, your neighbors, the people you care about and work with on a daily basis, fellow residents of the State of Maryland, many of whom have suffered harder and deeper than any group in the State.1 Right now, your friends, neighbors, people you care about and fellow Marylanders are calling on your leadership again to pass the Trust Act this session. We, too, believe that “the biggest threat to the American Dream is the sense of the other” and immigrant families for too long have been treated not only as the other, but as less than human.
As you are aware, advocates and tens of thousands of immigrant families have been fighting for a statewide trust policy to keep law enforcement from partnering with ICE for over a decade. In this challenging moment for all Marylanders, immigrant families are enormously impacted by the pandemic and suffering tremendously. The racist and unlawful targeting of immigrant families by law enforcement now has higher stakes than ever before.
Communities nationwide have passed and implemented various community trust policies – several of them right here in Maryland, including Baltimore City. To date, thirteen municipalities and four counties2 in Maryland have passed community trust policies3. As the national movement to make our communities safer through these policies grows, and the support across Maryland grows – we believe there is no greater time for the General Assembly to pass this critical bill. In addition to this bill being a long standing priority of the Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus, it has gained the support of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus and Maryland Legislative Asian American & Pacific Islander Caucus.
Support has also grown across our community. This bill is a top priority of the leading Catholic and other faith advocacy organizations in Annapolis, and is strongly supported by the leading civil rights organizations and unions. More than one hundred individuals and organizations testified in favor at the committee hearing, with little opposition, dominated by recognized hate groups.4 Data shows that community trust policies result in less poverty and less unemployment5– but also, an increase in public safety.6
It is your constituents like Yovani, and his mother Nora, who have been driving the fight for the Trust Act to pass. Yovani who is only 15 years old and his siblings have now faced life separated from their mother for more than a year and a half. Nora, who was transferred to ICE by police after her car broke down7– spent almost a year in ICE detention where she faces unspeakable horrors that she has testified to many times. After being deported to El Salvador, she has still called in to advocate for the passage of this legislation because she believes no other family should suffer as she did. These are your constituents.
With just weeks before Sine Die, we ask that you act with urgency to take the necessary steps to ensure the General Assembly does not go another year without passing the Trust Act. We have the veto-proof majority to drive this bill forward – and you have our collective unwavering support behind you. Immigrant families can not wait any longer. We need your leadership now, more than ever.
Respectfully,
1199 SEIU
32BJ SEIU
ACLU of Maryland
Adhikaar
ADL Washington, DC Region
African Communities Together
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Maryland
Ayudante Network
Baltimore Asian Resistance in Solidarity
Baltimore City Green Party
Baltimore County Progressive Democrats Club
Baltimore for Border Justice
Baltimore Women United
Beth Am Social Action Committee
Boys to Men
Calvert PRISM
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
CASA
Casa Baltimore Limay
Catholic Charities of Baltimore
Catonsville Indivisibles
Cecil Solidarity
Center for Popular Democracy
Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility
Citizens Policing Project
Clinicians for Progressive Care
Columbia Jewish Congregation
Conexiones
Congregation Action Network
Cooperative Housing University of Maryland
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries
Doctors for America – Maryland Chapter
Doctors for Camp Closure Maryland Chapter
DoTheMostGood
Equity Matters
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Filbert Street Garden
Foreign-Born Information and Referral Network
Franciscan Action Network
Frederick County Curious Taxpayers
Friends of Latin America
General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church
Glenmont United Methodist Church
Greenbelt People Power
Greenbelt Racial Equity Alliance
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
Howard County Coalition for Immigrant Justice
Hyattsville Mennonite Church
Immigrant Justice Corps
Immigrant Justice Ministry of Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church
Immigration Outreach Service Center
IMPACT Silver Spring
Indivisible Central Maryland
Indivisible Howard County
Indivisible Montgomery
Indivisible Worcester Maryland
Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington
Jews United for Justice
Kent and Queen Anne’s Indivisible
Latino Racial Justice Circle
Liuna Local 11
Lower Shore Progressive Caucus
Making Changes
Mama’s Bailout
Maryland Against ICE Detention
Maryland Alliance for Racial Equity in Education
Maryland Campaign for Environmental Human Rights
Maryland Center on Economic Policy
Maryland Legislative Coalition
Maryland United for Peace and Justice
Maryland United for Peace and Justice
MoCoWoMen
Montgomery County ACLU
Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition (MCCRC)
Montgomery County Democratic Socialists of America
Montgomery County Progressive Asian American Network
Montgomery County Women’s Democratic Club
Mothers on a Move
Mount Rainier Organizing for Racial Equality
Muslim Voices Coalition
NAACP Maryland State Conference
NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland
National Immigrant Justice Center
National Immigration Law Center
New Ways Ministry
Nigerians in Frederick
Organization of Chinese Americans DC
Organizing Black
Our Revolution Howard County
Our Revolution Montgomery County Chapter
Our Revolution Prince George’s
PG Change Makers Coalition
Power Inside
Prince George’s County Education Association
Prince George’s Peace and Justice Coalition
Progressive Maryland
Progressive Montgomery
Public Justice Center
Resources for Immigrant Support and Empowerment (RISE Coalition)
Sanctuary DMV
Schools Not Jails
Seekers Church
SEIU Local 500
SEIU Maryland & DC State Council
Showing Up For Racial Justice of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County (SURJ3A) Sisterhood of Salam Shalom Silver Spring
Sisters of Mercy – Justice Team
Southern Christian Leadership Conference Prince George’s
St. Vincent de Paul Peace & Justice Committee
Strong Schools Maryland
SURJ Baltimore
SURJ MOCO – Showing Up for Racial Justice Montgomery County
SURJ3A
Takoma Park Mobilization
Talking Drum Incorporated
Teens For Justice Prince George’s County
The Latino Democratic Club of Montgomery County
The Moonseed Collective
Transit Immigrant Assistance Silver Spring
UndocuBlack
Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400
United We Dream
UU Legislative Ministry of Maryland
Vera Institute of Justice
Washington County People’s Alliance
Women Indivisible Strong Effective
Young Democratic Socialists at the University of Maryland
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1 https://www.facebook.com/BillForSenate/videos/4029584163763840
2 Localities: Annapolis, Berwyn Heights, Brentwood, Cheverly, Colmar Manor, Edmonston, Forest Heights, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Mount Rainier, Riverdale Park, Rockville, Takoma Park; Counties: Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery, Prince George’s.
3 Not including Anne Arundel County. Anne Arundel County ended their 287g program in 2018. Anne Arundel County’s Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) ended in 2019.
4 The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), one of leading voices of opposition, has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/federation-american-immigration-reform
7 https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ice-local-law-enforcement-20190305-story.html
