Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott restricts ICE access to city property and expands immigrant legal support measures

Executive order sets new citywide rules for contacts with federal immigration agents

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott has signed an executive order establishing tighter limits on how city agencies and employees interact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while also directing expanded city support intended to help immigrant residents navigate immigration-related legal needs. The action is the latest step in a broader push by local and state leaders in Maryland to clarify the boundary between municipal services and federal civil immigration enforcement.

The order focuses on city-controlled property and operations—an important distinction in Baltimore, where the city does not run the local jail system, a key point of leverage for federal immigration enforcement in many jurisdictions. In practice, municipal policies often concentrate on whether city workers may share information, grant access to nonpublic areas of public facilities, or use city resources to assist federal civil immigration actions.

How city agencies are expected to respond to ICE activity

The executive order directs city agencies to standardize internal procedures for encounters with federal immigration agents, including how requests for access or information are handled. The approach mirrors themes that have emerged in pending or recently introduced local legislation, which has emphasized limiting ICE access to nonpublic spaces in city facilities—such as schools, libraries, and parks—absent appropriate judicial process.

• Guidance for city staff on responding to requests for entry into nonpublic areas of municipal buildings.
• Limits on the use of city personnel, resources, or funds to coordinate with federal civil immigration enforcement actions.
• Internal reporting and compliance steps designed to create consistent handling across agencies.

Legal support and city-funded services

Alongside access restrictions, the Scott administration has moved to strengthen city-backed assistance for immigrant communities. Baltimore’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget included additional funding for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to provide legal support and other resources, reflecting a policy choice to pair enforcement-related safeguards with service delivery.

The city’s policy direction combines operational limits on civil-immigration collaboration with expanded support aimed at helping residents understand and defend their rights in immigration proceedings.

State and regional context: 287(g) debate and Maryland’s existing limits

Baltimore’s executive order comes as Maryland lawmakers consider broader restrictions on formal ICE partnerships under the federal 287(g) program. State policy already places significant limits on when law enforcement officers may inquire about immigration status or prolong detention for civil immigration reasons, while also setting warrant-related conditions tied to sensitive locations and certain data disclosures.

In Maryland, 287(g) agreements have been concentrated in several counties rather than Baltimore City. At the same time, county-level decisions on cooperation have remained politically and operationally significant—illustrated by Baltimore County’s 2025 agreement with the federal government tied to immigration enforcement collaboration.

The mayor’s action adds Baltimore City to a growing list of local governments seeking clearer operational rules as immigration enforcement remains a high-profile point of friction between federal priorities and municipal governance.