Transcript
A (0:05)
Good morning. The Trump administration has ramped up using local police to carry out immigration enforcement. But now some states are pushing back.
B (0:13)
We will not allow untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable agents to deputize our brave local law enforcement officers.
A (0:21)
After New Epstein files revelations, the Los Angeles mayor is calling for the Olympics chairman to resign. The LA Times explains why. And the Chicago Sun Times reflects on the legacy of Jesse Jackson, who has died at the age of 84. It's Wednesday, February 18th. I'm Cecilia Ley and this is Apple News. Today, Yesterday, Maryland became the latest state to push against President Trump's immigration crackdown by prohibiting enforcement agreements, partnerships that allow local law enforcement officers to carry out federal immigration duties. The state follows similar moves in other Democratic led states like Virginia, New Mexico, and Maine. Here's a Democratic Governor, Wes Moore.
B (1:06)
We believe in due process here in the state of Maryland, and we refuse to blur the lines between state and federal authority in ways that undermine the trust between law enforcement and the communities that they serve. And the best way to address crime is by making sure that the communities feel safe and want to be involved in the process to stop it in the first place.
A (1:27)
The law comes, as NPR reports, that partnerships between local police and ICE have skyrocketed this past year under powers derived from a program with a wonky title 287. Jacqueline Diaz, a correspondent with NPR, told us how it works.
C (1:42)
This gives the local police officers the power to question, investigate, or arrest people for perceived or set immigration violations. And that's unique because it's power that's only really traditionally reserved for federal officers.
A (1:59)
The program itself is not new. In fact, it was President Bill Clinton who signed it into law back in 1996. In Maryland, for example, until yesterday, the county jail has for a long time asked inmates whether they were in the country illegally and then passed the information to a federal authority. But there's been a clear change in how these agreements are being used in Trump's second term. NPR reports that there were just 45 of these agreements in place back in 2019. And as of this week, ICE says that there are nearly 1500 active agreements. It varies massively across the country. Red states like Texas and Florida have hundreds in place. Blue states like Illinois or California have zero. The agreements come in different forms, but Diaz said that one was particularly common.
