Nicholas Ballasy writes for JustTheNews.com about an interesting response to the left-wing agendas of top leaders in Maryland and Virginia.
Two Democrat governors trying to advance progressive policies on immigration and gun control are facing pushback from local law enforcement, with sheriffs and prosecutors in Maryland and Virginia openly resisting portions of the states’ new agendas.
In Maryland, a majority of the state’s elected sheriffs filed a federal lawsuit challenging the newly enacted Community Trust Act, a law backed by Democrat Gov. Wes Moore that limited cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities.
The sheriffs argued the law interfered with their ability to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and could force them to choose between complying with state law and honoring federal obligations.
“This law is a dangerous mandate that has effectively turned Maryland into a sanctuary state by prohibiting these sheriffs from working with federal immigration authorities. They have knee-capped these sheriffs,” said Dale Wilcox, who is the executive director and general counsel of the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
Seventeen sheriffs joined the lawsuit, which claimed the law effectively turned Maryland into a “sanctuary state” by restricting cooperation with ICE.
“It is an intentional state-mandated obstruction of public safety,” Harford County Sheriff Jeff Ganford said. “This law deliberately ties the hands of our dedicated local deputies.” …
… At the same time, Virginia Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger faced a separate showdown with local prosecutors after signing one of the state’s most sweeping gun-control packages in decades.
The law prohibited the sale, transfer and manufacture of certain semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines, which is part of a broader push by Democrats to tighten firearm restrictions after taking unified control of state government.
Spanberger’s office said she believes that “firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on Virginia streets.”
Prosecutors in counties including Spotsylvania, Powhatan, Pulaski and Smyth said they would not enforce Virginia’s new assault-weapons ban, which was scheduled to take effect July 1, arguing it is unconstitutional.
