The Maryland Access to Justice Commission has convened a committee to study the reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in Maryland state courts.

The Maryland Access to Justice Commission’s ICE in State Courts Committee is deeply concerned that ICE arrests in state courts:

  • Impede the ability of all Marylanders to access justice on an equal footing; and
  • Impact the efficient and fair administration of justice.

We’ve studied what other states have done to respond to this problem. The first step is always to understand the scope and scale of the problem.

As such, we have developed a survey to capture information about the incidence of ICE arrests in Maryland state courts and the chilling effect of these arrests on the ability of immigrants to access state courts to resolve their problems.

It is imperative that as many individuals who serve immigrant populations in Maryland see and respond to this survey. We need attorneys, social service providers, faith-based organizations, and individuals in any other entities that serve immigrant communities to fill out this survey to get an accurate picture of what is transpiring in Maryland.

We hope this survey is spread widely among MSBA Sections and the state’s local and specialty bars so that it can be filled out by as many individual attorneys as possible.

Only with broad participation will we get an accurate picture of what is transpiring in Maryland, and only then will we be able to craft an appropriate response strategy. Survey responses in other states, like New York, have led to mobilizing a full fledged campaign to get ICE Out of State Courts.

Please note that the survey will be open and active from September 10, 2018 to October 12, 2018.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this important endeavor. We appreciate your time in spreading the word about this survey and in encouraging MSBA Sections and local/ specialty bars to respond.