A Maryland sheriff leading a lawsuit by 17 of the state's 24 counties against its sanctuary policies has told Congress that lawmakers are ignoring lessons from the September 11 attacks by restricting cooperation between local and federal law enforcement. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, whose jurisdiction saw two women murdered by illegal immigrants in 2022 and 2023, called the state's approach "pro-criminal" and said it represents "stupidity at its best" as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, arguing that post-9/11 lessons emphasised the need for agencies to communicate.

Gahler testified that Maryland's Community Trust Act, signed into law this year by Governor Wes Moore, bars officials from questioning immigration status, detaining people over suspected civil immigration violations, or notifying federal authorities of a detainee's custody without a court order. He said this can force deputies to release individuals they consider dangerous rather than hand them to federal immigration authorities, and argued that honouring ICE detainers is not burdensome, contrary to Democratic concerns that cooperation drains local resources. Moore has defended the law as keeping police focused on crime reduction, while sheriffs behind the suit maintain it obstructs their ability to act against immigrants sought by federal authorities, including those they view as "petty criminals."