Baltimore County, MD Immigration Policy: Sanctuary Policy Preemption (2026)
Key Facts
- Effective date
- December 1, 2025
- Enacting bill
- Bill No. 98-25
- Governing law
- County Code Art. 4, Title 3, Subtitle 6
- Inquiry ban
- 6 listed statutory exceptions
- Penalty
- Personnel System sanctions, not fines
- Policy deadline
- Departments must adopt policy within 120 days
Summary
Baltimore County law bars its employees, departments and agents from enforcing federal immigration law or asking anyone about citizenship, nationality or immigration status. Bill No. 98-25, effective December 1, 2025, added this protection as County Code Article 4, Title 3, Subtitle 6.
When acting within the scope of employment, an employee, department, or agent shall not engage in the enforcement of the Immigration and Nationality Laws of the United States and shall not assist an Immigration Enforcement Agency in the investigation or arrest of a person for a civil or criminal violation of the Immigration and Nationality Laws of the United States, except as required by State or Federal Law, or International Treaty.(b)Limitations on assistance with immigration enforcement.(1)When acting within the scope of employment, an employee, department, or agent shall not assist immigration enforcement in the collection or distribution of information about any person, except as required by State of Federal Law, or International Treaty.(2)The prohibitions in paragraph (1) of this subsection include prohibiting:(i)The disclosure, or a threat of disclosure, of information about any person to an immigration enforcement agency; or(ii)The expenditure of county resources to assist or facilitate civil immigration enforcement, unless the employee action is expressly authorized under this subtitle. (Bill No. 98-25, § 1, 12-1-2025)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29 | Zoning Regulations: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in investigating or arresting someone for a civil or criminal immigration violation, unless required by state or federal law or an international treaty. The law also blocks county resources from being spent to assist civil immigration enforcement and stops employees from disclosing or threatening to disclose a person's immigration information to an immigration enforcement agency. Section 4-3-604 separately prohibits any employee, department or agent from asking a person about his or her own citizenship, nationality or immigration status, or about another person's status, while on the job.
S. C. Section 1373, and eligibility screening for federal, state or local benefits programs. Section 4-3-605 bars discrimination against any person based on citizenship, nationality or immigration status, and Section 4-3-606 requires confidentiality of citizenship information subject to the same Section 4-3-602(c) exceptions. Section 4-3-602 lets Baltimore County Police still investigate or arrest criminal-law violators, join federal task forces to fight crime, and disclose information required by county, state or federal law, but bars using county resources for civil immigration enforcement within those activities.
Violations & Fines
Section 4-3-607 makes any employee who violates the subtitle subject to sanction under the county Personnel System rules and applicable law, not a separate fine schedule. Complaints go under Section 4-3-608 to the Director of the Office of Human Resources, the County Administrative Officer or designee, the County Attorney, or the head of any department whose primary purpose is immigrant affairs; the County Administrative Officer and the Offices of Human Resources and Law jointly review compliance once a complaint is lodged. Section 4-3-610 requires every county department to adopt implementing policies within 120 days of the December 1, 2025 effective date, post them publicly, and report annually to the County Council and County Executive on immigration enforcement requests received and how each was handled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Baltimore County police ask about someone's immigration status?
Will county employees help federal immigration agents make an arrest?
What happens to a county employee who violates this law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baltimore County
Compare Baltimore County to another location·View the Maryland immigration policy overview
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