Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said the county will “continue to comply with federal and state laws as we always have,” regardless of threats of “criminal and civil liability” for noncompliance with federal immigration laws he received in a letter recently from a nonprofit led by an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump.

America First Legal, a nonprofit “fighting back against lawless executive actions and the Radical Left,” according to its website, sent warning letters to 249 leaders of areas that the organization classified as sanctuary jurisdictions that violate federal law.

“Such lawlessness subjects you and your subordinates to significant risk of criminal and civil liability,” the letter states. “Accordingly, we are sending this letter to put you on notice of this risk and insist that you comply with our nation’s laws.”

Stephen Miller, a longtime Trump ally who the president-elect selected as his deputy chief of policy and homeland security adviser, is the president of America First Legal. According to the Associated Press, Miller was central to a 2018 immigration policy decision made by Trump that was criticized for separating children from their families at the border. The letters sent from the organization were signed by James Rogers, senior counsel for America First Legal.

In recent years, Ball and other Howard County government leaders have worked to make immigration policy reforms, but Ball insisted in August that the county isn’t considered a sanctuary county.

In 2020, Ball made a policy clarification permitting the Howard County Detention Center in Jessup to accept immigration detainees from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only if they were convicted of a “crime of violence,” such as murder, rape, manslaughter or robbery. Before then, the county would detain undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes, validated gang members, deported felons who had illegally made their way back to the United States and people charged with jailable offenses.

Then, in 2021, the county ended its 26-year contract with ICE, meaning the detention center would no longer hold immigration detainees. Howard County also does not participate in the 287(g) program, in which county jails screen inmates for immigration violations after ICE trains local police in federal immigration law. However, Cecil, Frederick and Harford counties do participate in the program.

In 2020, the County Council passed the Liberty Act by a supermajority. The act, signed by Ball, mandates that county employees cannot ask residents about their immigration status, requires confidentiality for certain information about citizenship in the county, and bans discrimination based on immigration status.

The law was the subject of a referendum in the 2022 gubernatorial general election. According to data from the Maryland State Board of Elections, 64.05% of county voters voted to uphold the law, which is enshrined in the county’s charter.

Ball has faced criticism for Howard County’s immigration policies. In August, the Enforcement and Removal Operations Baltimore Field Office, a unit of ICE, shared a post on X calling the county’s refusal to comply with an ICE detainer request that led to a man committing another crime in a different county upon release “unfortunate.” The post tagged Ball’s social media account.

The letter cites several federal laws, stating that Congress permits state and local law enforcement to assist federal authorities with enforcement of immigration law through the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under Howard County’s Liberty Act, county police can assist federal law enforcement with areas aside from immigration while enforcing local and state criminal laws. County police may work on task forces involving immigration, as long as county funds aren’t used, and the law is obeyed.

In response to the letter, Ball said he would ensure federal, state and local laws are adhered to, as the county always has. Should action come from the federal government, the county will evaluate the law and be sure to stay in compliance, “just like we do with any federal law,” Ball said.

“Immigration is under the purview of the federal government, and we believe that the federal government should be moving forward with issues that are under the purview of the federal government and local government should be moving forward with issues under the purview of the local government,” Ball said.

Ball wasn’t the only Maryland leader to receive a letter. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley and the county executives of Baltimore, Prince George’s and Montgomery counties were also sent similar letters. So were the mayors of Rockville and Hyattsville, and the presidents of the boards of commissioners in Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s and Charles counties.

As county executive, Ball said he will comply with local laws, such as the Liberty Act, in addition to federal and state laws.

“I think Howard County should be a safe place for all of our residents and visitors,” Ball said.

Have a news tip? Contact Kiersten Hacker at khacker@baltsun.com or @KierstenHacker on X.