Sheriff is optimistic ICE will stay out of Maryland's Harford County due to longstanding agreement

Matt Hubbard, The Baltimore Sun on Jun 18, 2025

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BALTIMORE — Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler does not believe large-scale Immigration Customs and Enforcement operations will occur in Harford County due to a longstanding agreement the county has with the federal agency that operates out of the county’s detention center.

“For ICE to focus their resources here, to me, doesn’t make sense because we are a cooperating partner,” Gahler said. “We work to identify the worst offenders who are committing crimes and in our country illegally and we report them to ICE.”

The agreement is through a program called 287(g), which screens the immigration status of everyone taken to the detention center in Harford County. Those found to have an invalid immigration status are reported to ICE.

ICE — which operates out of the county’s corrections center — then decides if the person will face deportation proceedings based on public safety and national security.

The program is specific to the detention center and does not authorize officers throughout Harford County to screen for immigration status or enforce immigration law.

“That is a much safer way to hand someone over, when they are already in custody, rather than doing the sweeps like they are in California and large cities,” Gahler said.

Harford, Cecil and Frederick counties, are the only three Maryland counties that have a 287(g) program.

Harford’s program began in May 2017, about three years after Gahler was elected sheriff the first time. Recent data from the program shows that in 2022, Harford County corrections screened 2,919 people. Of those screened, 43 ICE detainers were lodged.

An ICE detainer means that the federal agency has requested that a local or state law enforcement agency hold an individual in custody beyond the person’s scheduled release time, typically for up to 48 hours, to allow ICE to potentially take the individual into custody.

Gahler said that he is not aware of any “large-scale ICE raids” in Harford County since even before he took office as sheriff.

“I don’t think we have, or had, a large-scale problem to the degree of needing ICE’s attention because they have so many other places that are sanctuary jurisdictions,” Gahler said.

However, Gahler explained that ICE is a federal law enforcement agency that does not require permission to conduct operations anywhere in the United States and could, at any time, conduct an operation in Harford County.

Over the weekend, numerous images were posted on social media by county residents claiming that ICE was conducting a raid in a Bel Air neighborhood.

Cristie Hopkins, public information officer for the sheriff’s office, said the sheriff’s office was not aware of an ICE raid in the county.

ICE’s Baltimore field office did not respond to numerous requests for comment on the validity of the claims, or to confirm whether ICE had any past operations in the area.

If ICE were to stage operations in Harford County, Gahler said he would want to know so he could help provide resources. He said he would not condone any interference with federal operations.

“We would not tolerate what we saw in Los Angeles where federal agencies are doing their job and are being attacked,” Gahler said.

In March, Maryland legislators tried and failed to outlaw the 287(g) program by prohibiting local law enforcement from participating. Gahler was a vocal opponent of the bill.

Gahler explained that he expects to continue the 287(g) program and that he will not let Harford County become a sanctuary jurisdiction.

“I joined this program not to do ICE’s job, but to remove criminals who are victimizing our citizens and to give me another tool in my toolbox to keep our community safe,” Gahler said.

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