Harris To Baltimore County Exec: '...Comply With Federal Law'

Congressman Andy Harris is weighing in on the issue of immigration in Baltimore County. Harris, who lives in Cockeysville, said that he was concerned about public safety and compliance with federal law after the Baltimore County executive issued a letter expressing his dismay about immigration practices.

Baltimore County Executive Don Mohler requested information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Wednesday about the status of immigrant children being detained in Baltimore County.

In his letter to federal officials, Mohler said that he was "appalled" and "dismayed by" the practice of separating children from their parents at the U.S. border.

SEE ALSO: Immigrant Children Spark Baltimore County Exec Letter To Feds

The Department of Homeland Security reported that at least 2,000 children had been separated at the border from their parents between April 19 and May 31. The practice is no longer in effect, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 20 calling for detaining parents and their children together.

"This correspondence is intended to express my dismay over the actions of our federal government and my grave concerns about the well-being of children separated from their loving parents and placed in Maryland," Mohler wrote in his letter Wednesday to the health and human services secretary.

Congressman Harris said the letter made him concerned that safety and law were not being upheld in Baltimore County.

“The State of Maryland has the second highest frequency of MS-13 gang activity in the nation, second only to California," Harris said in a letter Thursday. "I am concerned that County Executive Mohler will not comply with federal immigration law, and instead follow the policies of his predecessor and establish Baltimore County as a sanctuary for criminal illegal immigrants."

Mohler's predecessor, the late Kevin Kamenetz, ordered law enforcement not to inquire about someone's immigration status, among other measures, in response to the federal government's threat of withholding funds to so-called sanctuary cities.

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The congressman said he was concerned that Mohler would not comply with federal immigration law.

"No one wants to see children separated from their parents, and the federal government is taking action to keep together families detained for illegally crossing the border. But the safety of Maryland’s citizens is my top priority, and compliance with federal immigration law keeps Marylanders safe," Harris said. "I urge County Executive Mohler to comply with federal immigration law."

Photo via U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.