01/14/2026
This is a must read. We can not let our politicians get away with this. Outrageous hypocrisy.
** Here is a clear, easy-to-digest synopsis, reduced to five straightforward bullet points followed by the long breakdown-
1. Klausmeier publicly said Baltimore County is not a sanctuary jurisdiction and does not impede ICE, which gives the impression that county police cooperate with immigration enforcement.
2. In reality, most ICE warrants are civil, not criminal, meaning they are issued by ICE officials, not judges, and do not allege a crime or provide arrest authority.
3. Baltimore County Police are expressly prohibited from enforcing civil ICE warrants or detainers, including stopping, arresting, holding, or transferring someone to ICE based on those documents.
4. If a person is otherwise eligible for release, police must release them even if ICE is requesting custody, unless there is a separate criminal warrant signed by a judge.
5. So while the County avoids the word “sanctuary,” the policy’s real-world effect is that local police cannot assist ICE in most immigration cases, a key detail that is not disclosed in the public statement.**
Below is a side-by-side, fact-driven breakdown that lays Kathy Klausmeier’s May 2025 public statement directly against what Baltimore County police are actually instructed to do under the BCPD ICE policy, and why the difference matters to the public.
Klausmeier’s public statement in May 2025 says:
“Baltimore County is not a ‘sanctuary jurisdiction.’ Our highest priority remains public safety… We are committed to supporting our valued law enforcement personnel while following federal, state and local law… and are not obstructing or impeding enforcement of federal immigration laws.”
What the public hears from that statement:
1. Baltimore County cooperates with ICE.
2. The County does not block immigration enforcement.
3. Law enforcement can assist ICE when appropriate.
4. The County is not limiting ICE activity in practice.
What the BCPD ICE policy actually instructs police to do, in writing, department-wide, as of June 2025:
First, the policy makes clear that most ICE warrants are civil, not criminal.
A civil ICE warrant is an administrative document issued by ICE or DHS, not a judge. It does not allege a crime. It does not establish probable cause. It is not executable by local police.
Second, the policy states repeatedly that civil ICE warrants and detainers cannot be enforced by Baltimore County Police.
Officers are instructed that they may not:
1. Stop a person based on a civil ICE hit.
2. Arrest a person based on a civil ICE warrant.
3. Detain or continue to detain a person once local criminal grounds end.
4. Hold a person for ICE pickup.
5. Transfer custody to ICE based on civil paperwork.
The policy uses explicit language like “will not,” “may not,” and “are prohibited,” not discretionary language.
Third, the policy requires release, even when ICE is involved.
If an individual is otherwise eligible for release under state or local law, BCPD officers must release them, even if:
1. ICE has issued a civil detainer.
2. ICE has requested notification.
3. ICE indicates the person is removable under immigration law.
Fourth, the policy distinguishes criminal warrants from civil ICE paperwork in bold, repeated examples.
The training materials included in the PDF show large labels stating:
1. “CIVIL – DO NOT EXECUTE”
2. “CANNOT BE ENFORCED”
3. “DOES NOT MEAN THERE IS A CRIMINAL ICE WARRANT”
Those examples are provided specifically so officers do not mistakenly treat ICE documents as enforceable warrants.
Now, here is where the public statement and the policy diverge.
Klausmeier says the County is not obstructing or impeding federal immigration enforcement.
In reality, the County has adopted a policy that prohibits its police department from enforcing the vast majority of ICE warrants, because they are civil.
Klausmeier emphasizes cooperation with federal law.
The policy limits cooperation to criminal warrants only, and bars enforcement of civil immigration actions entirely by county police.
Klausmeier says the County is not a sanctuary jurisdiction.
Yet the operational effect of the policy is that:
1. Civil ICE warrants cannot be executed.
2. Civil ICE detainers cannot justify holding someone.
3. Individuals must be released even when ICE requests custody.
4. Immigration status alone cannot trigger enforcement action.
Those are the same functional limits that the general public commonly associates with the term sanctuary, even if the County avoids using that label.
The statement is therefore technically defensible in wording, but misleading in effect.
It is accurate that Baltimore County does not block ICE from enforcing federal law itself.
It is not accurate to suggest that county police meaningfully assist ICE beyond criminal warrants.
What is missing from the public statement is the key fact that matters most to residents:
Baltimore County Police are formally prohibited from enforcing civil immigration warrants, prohibited from holding people for ICE, and required to release individuals when criminal authority ends, even if ICE is actively seeking them.
That distinction is not explained to the public.
It is buried in internal police policy.
The result is a disconnect between what residents are told publicly and what officers are required to do operationally.
