In yet another example of the Left’s hostility toward law enforcement and border security, a Maryland Democrat has introduced legislation that would effectively blacklist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from serving as state or local police officers. The proposal, dubbed the “ICE Breaker Act of 2026,” is being pushed by Democrat State Delegate Adrian Boafo—and it’s already drawing fierce criticism from law enforcement advocates and Republicans alike.
Under Boafo’s bill, ICE agents hired during President Donald Trump’s second administration would be barred from being employed in any Maryland state or local police department. The move is being pitched as a public safety measure, but critics say it’s little more than ideological punishment aimed squarely at federal officers who enforce immigration law.
“This year, I introduced legislation to ensure ICE officers can never serve in any of Maryland’s police forces,” Boafo bragged in a post on X. “Why? Because they are not trained, they are not qualified, and Marylanders deserve people who will protect them.”
That claim was immediately challenged by Betsy Smith, a spokesperson for the National Police Association, who called the bill misleading and unserious.
“It sounds as though this politician wants people to believe that an ICE agent can just come into their town and tomorrow be a patrol officer,” Smith said. “It’s simply ridiculous.” She emphasized that local law enforcement agencies already have rigorous hiring, vetting, and training processes—processes that would apply to any applicant, including former federal agents.
In reality, ICE officers undergo extensive federal law enforcement training and routinely work complex investigations involving violent criminals, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and gang activity. Suggesting they are somehow “unqualified” to serve as police officers strikes many as absurd—and insulting.
But Boafo wasn’t done. Speaking to reporters, he doubled down, saying constituents across his district constantly ask what he’s doing about ICE.
“There’s only so much the state can do,” he said, before adding bluntly, “Make sure that those ICE officers never have a job here in the state of Maryland.”
In a telling admission, Boafo clarified that the bill would only target ICE agents hired after President Trump took office in January 2025. Those who joined ICE under previous administrations—including Biden and Obama—would be exempt.
“What we’re saying in Maryland is that any ICE officer…who saw the horrific violence that’s been happening over the last year and said, ‘I want to join that work,’ we don’t want you,” Boafo said.
In other words, enforcing the law under a Republican president is disqualifying—but doing the same job under Democrats is apparently just fine.
Republicans were quick to call out the hypocrisy. Maryland State Delegate Matt Morgan labeled the proposal an “unserious” and “stupid bill for the purpose of political pandering.”
“What about ICE agents hired under Biden or Obama?” Morgan asked in a post on X.
That question cuts to the heart of the issue. The bill has little to do with qualifications or public safety and everything to do with partisan politics. At a time when communities across the country are grappling with rising crime, illegal immigration, and stretched-thin police departments, Maryland Democrats appear more interested in virtue signaling than solutions.
For conservatives, the message is clear: this isn’t about protecting Marylanders—it’s about appeasing the radical anti-ICE crowd, even if it means sidelining trained law enforcement professionals who want to continue serving the public.
