Credit – U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement
LEONARDTOWN, Md. – Correctional officers in St. Mary’s County have completed federal training and received credentials under the 287(g) Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program, allowing them to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in identifying and transferring certain noncitizen inmates for removal.
“The Corrections Division has a Memorandum of Agreement as a Warrant Service Officer Program,” the sheriff’s office confirmed. “The Correctional Officers designated as WSO for St. Mary’s have completed the training, been certified, and received the credentials within the last few weeks.”
The training and certification follow a March 3, 2025, agreement between the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and ICE. The WSO program is a narrowly focused version of the federal 287(g) initiative that allows certified corrections personnel to serve ICE administrative warrants and facilitate custodial transfers at the time of an inmate’s scheduled release.
“Our participation in this program applies exclusively to individuals incarcerated at our Detention Center for local offenses. It provides a safe and secure process for transferring them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement when required. This agreement supports our mission to protect St. Mary’s County while ensuring our actions remain within the boundaries of the law,” Sheriff Steve Hall said.
Under the agreement, officers may only act under ICE supervision and are restricted to jail-based duties. Detention beyond 48 hours requires separate authorization or agreement. The program does not allow for street-level enforcement or patrol-based immigration arrests.
With Allegany County joining in June, Maryland now has eight counties participating in 287(g) programs: Allegany, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, St. Mary’s and Washington. Charles and Calvert counties have not signed on.
Supporters, including sheriffs in Frederick and Harford counties, say the program improves public safety by ensuring ICE is notified before inmates flagged for removal are released. Critics argue the partnerships raise due process concerns and contribute to community mistrust—especially among immigrants with legal status or unresolved cases.
ICE records show six inmates in St. Mary’s County have been held on immigration detainers since the program began. A public information request is pending with the sheriff’s office. By comparison, Frederick County has reported 70+ detainers this fiscal year. Across Maryland, ICE recorded 396 287(g) encounters as of April.
While legislation to ban new 287(g) agreements stalled in Annapolis earlier this year, lawmakers passed a scaled-back version known as the Maryland Law Enforcement and Governmental Trust Act (House Bill 728). The law prohibits immigration enforcement in sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, places of worship and courthouses, but it does not restrict counties from continuing or entering into 287(g) agreements.
The continued rollout of WSO agreements in counties like St. Mary’s reflects the quiet but steady expansion of ICE’s local jail partnerships across Maryland.
Read the agreement below:
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This is so wrong and I’m guess with face masks and warrantless as usual.
Charles COUNTY NEEDS THIS