A group of Maryland sheriffs is suing the state over the Community Trust Act, which limits when local law enforcement agencies can cooperate with ICE.

The lawsuit comes as the American Immigration Council is calling for a national overhaul of immigration enforcement, arguing that civil immigration violations should not always result in deportation.

The reform demands follow public scrutiny of the Trump administration’s aggressive push to boost deportations. The council says its proposal would restore credibility and humanity to ICE enforcement.

Dara Lind, senior fellow with the American Immigration Council, said the current system can upend the lives of people without legal status who have lived in the United States for a long time and avoided trouble.

“All of us have seen this — someone who has roots in the community, who everyone involved in the process agrees should be able to stay, but their hands are tied because there’s only one penalty, and that’s deportation,” Lind said.

She was referring to people who contribute to their communities as workers and, in some cases, have family members who are citizens.

The council says when people with civil immigration violations are detained by agents and sent to immigration court, they should be offered alternative penalties, such as fines or community service.

It is unclear whether policymakers would consider those changes, even if Democrats regain control of Congress.

The Maryland sheriffs’ lawsuit argues the Community Trust Act obstructs public safety and ties the hands of local law enforcement. Lind said an alternative mechanism for immigration enforcement could still ensure accountability.

“If you’re not acting in good faith, in compliance with the rules, if you’re a major violator, then you get sent to deportation proceedings because the point is to get people in a spirit of compliance [and] for the government and people to work together,” Lind said.

Nanya Gupta, policy director for the American Immigration Council, said even if other parts of the nation’s immigration system eventually improve, such as asylum policy, enforcement still needs a drastic overhaul.

“Because it is this part of the immigration system that has been weaponized against immigrants, American communities, and core tenets of our democracy,” Gupta said.

In a national poll from April, 54% of Americans said they disapprove of how President Donald Trump has handled deportations.

Source: Public News Service