Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of Harford County, leading a lawsuit by 17 of Maryland’s 24 counties against the state’s sanctuary city policies, testified before Congress that the hard-won lessons of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks are being dangerously disregarded. Citing the murders of two local women, Rachel Morin and Kayla Hamilton, by undocumented immigrants, Gahler vehemently criticized Maryland’s Community Trust Act, which he argues hamstring law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. ‘In a world post-9/11, we learned that we need to communicate with… all federal partners to keep our community safe,’ Gahler stated, calling the legislation that prohibits communication and cooperation with federal agencies, including barring deputies from holding individuals for ICE unless under a court order, ‘stupidity at its best.’ He countered arguments that such cooperation strains local resources, asserting that honoring ICE detainers is not a burden and that individuals, even those committing ‘petty crimes,’ who are sought by federal immigration authorities should be removed, not released back into communities where they may pose a danger, directly contradicting the spirit of inter-agency communication vital to national security that was so tragically underscored by 9/11.
Adapted from: Latest Political News on Fox News
