10,000 Maryland Immigrants at Risk as Trump Policy Fuels Fear

(MARYLAND) About 10,000 young immigrants in Maryland—mostly DACA recipients and DACA-eligible youth—are facing heightened risks after the Trump administration rolled back federal Sensitive Locations Protections and stepped up enforcement targeting the state. The shift, in effect by October 28, 2025, ends longstanding federal guidance that discouraged immigration arrests in places like schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship, prompting a surge of fear and uncertainty across Maryland’s immigrant communities.

The change means Immigration and Customs Enforcement can carry out operations in spaces that families once considered safer. School drop-offs, court hearings, and medical visits—already stressful for many—now carry a perceived risk of immigration stops. Advocates say the result is immediate and stark: students skipping classes, patients delaying care, and parents weighing whether a courthouse visit for a traffic ticket could put them into detention. The rollback of Sensitive Locations Protections has turned daily routines into calculated decisions, with families trying to avoid any public setting where an enforcement action might occur.

Maryland lawmakers are preparing an emergency response. Legislators in both chambers are set to introduce the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to re-establish state-level safeguards for schools, healthcare facilities, courthouses, and other critical spaces. Sponsors say the bill will be introduced imminently, aiming to create clear limits on enforcement in these locations while the state navigates an increasingly aggressive federal posture. While the measure is moving quickly, it is not yet law, leaving a gap that community groups and local officials warn is widening as families pull back from essential services.

Maryland has also been singled out for tougher federal action. According to advocates and state officials, the administration has pursued legal challenges involving local courts and raised threats of deploying federal and National Guard personnel to carry out mass deportations. President Trump has publicly stated a goal of the largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history, and Maryland has been flagged as a priority due to policies seen as more welcoming to immigrants. Those signals, coupled with the end of federal protections at sensitive locations, have stirred anxiety that extends well beyond immigration courtrooms and into daily life for young people who grew up in the state.

For DACA recipients, the legal landscape offers a mix of limited protections and mounting uncertainty. In January 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that DACA protections from deportation remain lawful nationwide, preserving a lifeline for many in Maryland. However, the court narrowed the program’s reach by restricting work permit eligibility in Texas, creating a patchwork system where new DACA applications can still be accepted and processed outside Texas. The ruling kept deportation protections on the books but left the program’s future in doubt, with advocates warning that a potential Supreme Court review could end DACA entirely. That fear is now layered on top of tougher enforcement, narrowing options for young people who have lived most of their lives in the United States 🇺🇸.

The safety net for these youths has also frayed in healthcare. As of August 25, 2025, DACA recipients lost access to federal Marketplace health coverage, a change that community groups say is already keeping people from getting care they need. This shift, when combined with the loss of Sensitive Locations Protections, has a chilling effect: people who need care the most may avoid hospitals or clinics if they fear an immigration stop could happen there. Health providers and advocates describe a troubling cycle—less care leading to worse health, with the added risk of encountering enforcement during a medical visit.

For schools, the fallout is immediate and personal. Educators report students asking if it is safe to come to class and families calling to question whether drop-off lines or after-school events could draw attention. With the state bill not yet enacted, school leaders say they are relying on local protocols and informal networks to calm fears, even as federal guidance no longer offers a shield. Over time, advocates warn, fewer students showing up could translate into more absences, lower performance, and greater disengagement—impacts that are hard to reverse once trust is lost.

Courthouses, which advocates say are essential for everyone to resolve legal matters, are now seen by some immigrants as places to avoid. Missing a court date can quickly spiral into bigger problems—fines, warrants, and other legal complications—that deepen vulnerability. In Maryland, court officials and legal aid groups are trying to spread the message that appearing is important and to connect people to resources. But with targeted enforcement looming, even routine civil hearings can feel risky to families weighing the chance of an arrest.

Places of worship and community centers, once consistent sanctuaries, are not the certainty they were under prior federal guidance. Faith leaders and nonprofit directors say they are bracing for the possibility of enforcement visits and preparing volunteers to document encounters, advise families, and direct people to legal services. They also note that the fear extends beyond those who are undocumented. In mixed-status households—where a U.S. citizen child may have a parent with DACA or no status—the stress of the moment touches everyone, shaping decisions about work, school, and daily errands.

The policy shift has prompted a fast-growing network of responses. Advocacy organizations, including groups like CASA, are coordinating with attorneys and community leaders to provide know-your-rights trainings, rapid response hotlines, and direct legal help. State and local officials are tracking the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act closely, and some county leaders are discussing what additional steps they might take until the state law is in place. Immigration news outlets such as VisaVerge.com are compiling updates and guidance in an effort to keep families informed as the legal and enforcement landscape shifts week by week.

Federal policy remains a central variable. The end of the federal Sensitive Locations Protections marks a clear pivot, but it is only part of a broader enforcement picture that has zeroed in on Maryland. Each step—whether a new lawsuit or the threat of federal force deployments—adds to the sense of precarity among DACA recipients and DACA-eligible youth. For many, the balance of daily life has tilted toward caution, with parents choosing to stay home from work, students skipping activities, and families changing routines to lower their visibility in public spaces.

There are still limited legal protections in place. The Fifth Circuit’s decision means Maryland residents who hold DACA remain shielded from deportation for now, and new applications continue to be processed outside Texas. Yet the uncertainty hanging over the program keeps nerves frayed, and the loss of health coverage raises costs at the very moment when many families are bracing for legal fees and potential loss of household income if an arrest occurs. Advocates caution that the combined pressure—tighter enforcement, fewer safe spaces, and shrinking benefits—creates compounding risks that are difficult for any single policy to fix quickly.

For families looking for official information on DACA’s status, the USCIS DACA information page remains the primary federal resource, even as court actions continue to shape what the program can and cannot do. Legal aid groups in Maryland are urging families to keep documents up to date, seek reputable legal advice before making any big decisions, and stay alert for changes from the Maryland General Assembly on the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act. Community clinics, schools, and faith-based organizations are coordinating to maintain access to basic services without increasing exposure to enforcement.

The state’s emergency bill is designed to fill the most urgent gaps created by the federal rollback. If passed, it would draw lines around the types of places where enforcement is limited, aiming to give families enough confidence to attend school, see a doctor, appear in court, or worship without fear of an immigration arrest. Supporters say the measure would not resolve every issue tied to federal enforcement, but it would restore a baseline of safety in public spaces while broader legal questions play out in federal courts. The timing is now critical, as each week that passes without state-level protections deepens the chilling effect already felt in classrooms, clinics, and courtrooms.

For now, Maryland sits at the center of a national test over how far federal enforcement will reach into everyday life and how states can respond. The estimated 10,000 young people at risk—DACA recipients and those eligible for the program—represent students, workers, and neighbors who have spent much of their lives in the state. As the federal government steps up actions and Sensitive Locations Protections fall away, the debate in Maryland has moved from policy theory to the practical question of whether people feel safe enough to learn, work, and care for their families. With state lawmakers preparing their emergency bill and community groups mobilizing support, the coming weeks will determine whether Maryland can rebuild the guardrails that once kept essential spaces accessible to all.