Prince George's County, MD Immigration Policy: Sanctuary Policy Preemption (2026)
Key Facts
- Enacted
- CB-62-2019, amended CB-21-2020 & CB-006-2026
- Applies to
- All County agents and agencies
- Detainer rule
- No hold past custody-release eligibility
- ICE facility access
- Warrant or exigent circumstance required
- Reporting
- Agencies report to Council every 6 months
- Violations
- Referred to Board of Ethics, § 2-527.01
Summary
Prince George's County Code § 2-524 bars County agents and agencies from stopping, detaining, or arresting anyone based on immigration status alone, and from letting ICE use County facilities or property for civil immigration enforcement. Officers cannot ask about citizenship during routine stops, and jailers cannot hold someone on an ICE detainer past their release date.
(a)Traffic Stops and Police-Civilian Contact. No agent or agency may initiate an investigation or otherwise take law enforcement action solely based on the actual or perceived immigration status of a person, including the initiation of a stop, apprehension, arrest, or any other field of contact...(b)Arrest. No agent or agency may stop, search, arrest or detain a person based on an Administrative Warrant, an Immigration Detainer, or any other directive by DHS, or a belief that the person is not present legally in the United States or has committed a civil immigration violation.(c)Actions Following an Arrest. If a person is arrested, no agent or agency may:(1)contact any immigration enforcement official, including but not limited to ICE officers, regarding a person that may be the subject of an Administrative Warrant or an Immigration Detainer, unless that person is the subject of an active criminal warrant requiring such action;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2026 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Division 46, "Community Inclusiveness" (CB-62-2019, amended CB-21-2020 and CB-006-2026), covers every County agent and agency. Section 2-521 bars requesting or investigating a person's citizenship or immigration status unless required by law or court order, or material to a criminal investigation. Section 2-522 prohibits threatening or coercing anyone based on actual or perceived immigration status, and Section 2-523 bars conditioning County benefits or services on immigration status, requiring the County to accept a matricula consular or foreign driver's license wherever a Maryland ID would otherwise be accepted.
Section 2-524(a) bars stops or questioning based solely on immigration status; (b) bars arrests based on an Administrative Warrant or Immigration Detainer; (c) bars contacting ICE about an arrested person or holding them past eligibility for release, unless they were convicted of a crime of violence under Section 14-101 of the Criminal Law Article; and (d)-(e) bar letting ICE into non-public County space or signing 287(g) or detention-housing agreements. Section 2-526(b) requires the County to tell a detained person about any ICE request within 48 hours, and agencies must report detainer activity to the Council every six months.
Newer Sections 2-560 through 2-562 (CB-006-2026) require a judicial warrant or exigent circumstances before ICE can enter non-public County facilities, bar using County lots or garages as ICE staging areas, and require signage identifying restricted County property.
Violations & Fines
Section 2-527 lets the County comply with binding federal law (8 U.S.C. §§ 1373, 1644) or a criminal warrant, but any intentional violation by a County public safety agent, officer, or employee is referred to their appointing authority for discipline. Since CB-104-2025, Section 2-527.01 also mandates referral of every violation to the Office of Ethics and Accountability and the Board of Ethics for review under the County's ethics-complaint procedure, and employees who fail to report unauthorized ICE use of County property under Section 2-561(g) face discipline too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Prince George's County police ask about my immigration status during a traffic stop?
Will County police hold someone for ICE after they post bond or finish their sentence?
Can ICE agents enter non-public areas of County buildings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince George's County
Compare Prince George's County to another location·View the Maryland immigration policy overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.