Nothing seems to inspire misinformation like immigration policy — particularly by some opportunistic Republican politicians who see an advantage in scaring the public. And that includes the GOP’s Freedom Caucus in Annapolis whose members recently called upon Gov. Wes Moore to force local governments to notify federal authorities when releasing an unauthorized immigrant subject to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. Who wants to see an alleged violent criminal go free? That’s likely why those Maryland lawmakers happily pointed to a poll of likely voters by Gonzales Research & Media Services Inc. that found an overwhelming percentage want greater coordination between local law and federal immigration authorities regarding violent offenders without legal status. Caucus members want Governor Moore to sign an executive order to make this so.

But wait, the question itself is a bit misleading. First, merely asking the question makes it sound like undocumented immigrants are a leading source of violent crime in Maryland when studies have repeatedly shown that they are less often charged with wrongdoing than native-born Americans. But more importantly, it’s a question of what works. Maryland doesn’t currently prohibit local governments from cooperating with ICE. State law merely prevents local governments from detaining immigrants on behalf of ICE. Local law enforcement officials often fret that if they are tasked with enforcing immigration policy, they will get little-to-no cooperation from the local immigrant community. Crimes won’t be reported. Or suspects caught. And that can have far worse consequences for public safety.

This business of demonizing immigrants has to stop. If there is any GOP figure to emerge from the Haitians-eating-pets fiasco in Springfield, Ohio, it’s not former President Donald Trump who continues to spread that false allegation. He’s joined in that effort by his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance who admits its concocted (and continues to call them “illegal” when they have legal status) but apparently sees a greater good in vilifying new arrivals. The real hero is Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who has called for Trump and Vance to stop spreading these falsehoods and calmly sought to make Springfield safe while helping the immigrant community. “We welcome legal immigrants to come to Ohio who want to work, who want to raise their families, who want to be part of our community,” DeWine said.