Overview
- Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday, urging Congress to intervene against the Community Trust Act and saying the law can force deputies to release suspects.
- Gahler is among 17 county sheriffs who filed a lawsuit challenging the law’s restrictions on holding people for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement without a judicial warrant.
- He cited two high-profile Harford County murder cases that led to arrests, convictions, and long prison sentences to argue the law creates public-safety risks.
- Democratic members of the House Judiciary subcommittee criticized the forum as partisan, and Rep. Jamie Raskin offered condolences to the victims’ families while disputing the hearing’s framing.
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced that ICE field agents will be given body-worn cameras by the end of September, a near-term operational change that could affect evidence practices and oversight as the legal fight continues.