Advocacy

All people — no matter where we come from, what our religion is, or what language we speak — should be able to live in peace with our families. But certain politicians in the federal government are trying to consolidate their power by tearing communities apart and sowing fear and division based on where people were born.

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A package of immigrant protection bills before the Maryland General Assembly will provide additional safeguards for our immigrant neighbors. These bills are concrete steps that the General Assembly can take to help keep communities and families safe, and to help ensure that all Marylanders are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness, no matter where they or their family members were born.

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The package of bills includes (more details at CASA):

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* Maryland Data Privacy Act (HB1431)

 

HB1431 will provide data privacy protections to all Maryland residents for data held by government agencies, equivalent to that already provided for Motor Vehicle Administration data.  SB977 would not interfere with truly criminal investigations, allowing for disclosure when a valid judicial warrant is presented.  Immigrant families should be able to access all government services without worrying that their information will be freely shared with federal immigration authorities. 

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* Protecting Sensitive Locations Act (HB1006)

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HB1006 will direct the Maryland Attorney General to develop guidelines for sensitive locations, such as schools, hospitals and churches, to explain how to limit federal immigration enforcement at those locations to the fullest extent consistent with federal and state law.  Immigrant families should be able to access education, health care, social services, and be able to worship, without fearing arrest and family separation.

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* Maryland Values Act (HB1222)

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HB1222 will prohibit state and local law enforcement from entering into agreements with the federal government to help enforce federal immigration law, and require those jurisdictions currently in such agreements to end them by July 1 of this year.  Our state and local law enforcement agencies have no business enforcing federal immigration law - Maryland residents need these public servants spending their time and effort enforcing state and local laws.  These agreements also wreck trust of our immigrant communities in our local law enforcement, to the detriment of all Maryland residents.

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How you can help:

There are actions you can take now, and more you can do next week.

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Email Action Alerts

Let your Maryland state delegates and leadership know you support all three of these bills.  You can do so easily using any of the following action alerts (but try to personalize your message based on the templates provided):

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• Go to the CAN House Immigration Justice action to quickly email your delegates with CAN's interfaith based message.

• Use the Jews United for Justice Stand with Maryland and DC Immigrants action for a message to your delegates and state leadership with a Jewish. perspective.

• Go to the CASA action page to send a secular message to your delegates and state leadership.

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Submit Testimony and Show Up!

Next week, on Thursday, February 27, all three bills will receive a hearing in the House of Delegates Judiciary Committee (House Office Building, Room 100).  If you can make it in person to Annapolis that afternoon, join CASA, Jews United for Justice and other advocates in packing the hearing room in support of these bills.  See below for information on showing up for a hearing at the Maryland General Assembly.

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If you can't make it in person, you can submit written testimony in support of the bills exactly two days in advance of the hearing - Tuesday February 25.  For examples of written testimony, feel free to see CAN's testimony, but be sure to write your own in your own name, without writing on behalf of CAN or using CAN's logo.  Do not include your street address, only your town, as all testimony is a public record.   Instructions on how to submit written testimony is available at the Maryland General Assembly website: Hearing Witness Sign-Up Instructions. There is an associated video tutorial.

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CAN's testimony:

• CAN Testimony in support of HB1222 -  (Maryland Values Act)

• CAN Testimony in support of HB1006 - (Protecting Sensitive Locations Act)

• CAN Testimony in support of HB1431 (Maryland Data Privacy Act)

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