Prince George's Co. under spotlight after immigration controversies rock Maryland

LARGO, Md. (WBFF) — Maryland's sanctuary jurisdictions are once again under the spotlight after immigration controversies rocked both Baltimore County and Harford County this month.

Sanctuary jurisdictions are cities, counties or states that refuse to comply with federal immigration officials seeking to remove illegal immigrants from the United States and deport them to their home countries.

The largest remaining sanctuary jurisdiction in Maryland is Prince George's County, which has a well-documented history of shielding illegal immigrants from federal agents.

In May 2018, 16-year-old Josue Rafael Fuentes-Ponce and 17-year-old Joel Ernesto Escobar were arrested in Prince George's County for attempted murder and attempted robbery. Both offenders were sent to a youth detention center operated by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) to complete their sentences.

Escobar was transferred back to Prince George’s County Department of Corrections custody before being released on March 15, 2019. Fuentes-Ponce was released by DJS.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued detainers to Prince George's County police for both juveniles. Those federal detainers were not honored.

Months later, the two were charged with murder after the body of 14-year-old Ariana Funes-Diaz, an Anne Arundel County resident, was found in Prince George's County. The May 15, 2019 discovery and arrest of the juveniles led to Escobar being found guilty of murder and participating in gang-related activity, court records show.

The brutal murder was found to be the result of the efforts of a Salvadorian street gang known as MS-13. Both juveniles were found to be affiliated with the criminal organization.

Escobar was ultimately sentenced to 25 years in prison for gang affiliation, court records show. A state corrections database says he is still incarcerated at North Branch Correctional Institution.

Due to Maryland law protecting the privacy of juveniles, it is unclear what the outcome and incarceration status of Fuentes-Ponce are as a result of the charges.

Evolution of Prince George's County's immigration policy

After being inaugurated in 2018, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks joined the Prince George's County Police Department to announce a sweeping policy change regarding how her jurisdiction would cooperate with ICE.

They said their goal was to eliminate confusion on illegal immigration detainers.

We are not participating in immigration enforcement," Alsobrooks said during the June 2019 policing announcement. "That is the job of the federal government, but we wanted to give advice and counsel to the police department and the department of corrections on occasions where we would notify ICE."

In response to national concern by political social progressives of then-President Donald Trump's immigration changes, the Prince George's County Council introduced and debated the Act Concerning Community Inclusiveness.

After the council unanimously approved the resolution admonishing Prince George's County agencies from collaborating with federal law enforcement, Alsobooks wrote a letter to the council's chair saying she was concerned about the potential impact of the act on county federal grant funding.

Alsobrooks said Trump's executive order to withhold millions in federal local law enforcement and city funding could devastate the county.

[L]et me make clear that I support the goal of providing a safe community for all persons," Alsobrooks wrote. "I am unaware if the [c]ouncil had knowledge of the significant financial impact this legislation could have on government services due to the passage of a 2017 Executive Order by the Executive Branch of the United States government."

The Prince George's County executive pointed to efforts her administration had already taken on illegal immigration detainer guidance, adding there was still legal uncertainty in Trump's policies.

"[Our] regulations...make it clear that there is no intent to enter into cooperation agreements with federal agencies for the sole enforcement of immigration laws," Alsobrooks wrote.

Similarly, the Department of Corrections has a policy of not accepting or maintaining custody of an individual solely based on an administrative immigration warrant," Alsobrooks added.

ICE enforcement statement echoed Alsobrooks's policies

The federal immigration enforcement office announced in December 2020 that it had arrested two criminal illegal immigrants after they were repeatedly released by Prince George's County, despite the suspects having issued detainers.

ICE said the individuals detained included an MS-13 member and a convicted sex offender.

"These arrests are yet another example of a local jurisdiction choosing to release demonstrated public safety threats to the community, rather than honoring lawful detainers and allowing ICE to take custody of these individuals and keep them off the street," Francisco Madrigal said.

Madrigal was the field director for Enforcement and Removal Operations for Baltimore's ICE regional office when the arrests occurred.

A similar incident occurred in September when repeat violent offender Carlos Corrales-Ramirez, also known as "Carlos Turcio," had his immigration status ignored by a local Prince George's County police department.

Despite being known to Laurel police, a suburban city in Prince George's County, immigration officials were not notified.

Officers from the Laurel Police Department are familiar with [his] address and have responded to [the] address for multiple calls for service involving an individual identified as Carlos Enrique Corrales-Ramirez," the February 2023 arrest warrant from Laurel police said.

The warrant against Corrales-Ramirez was obtained by Laurel police for allegedly stabbing a Hispanic victim. Corrales-Ramirez is currently awaiting sentencing in an unrelated murder conviction in Troy, N.Y.

Questions about Prince George's County's illegal immigration policies come after 23-year-old Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez was arrested for the brutal murder of Rachel Morin on Harford County's Ma and Pa trail last year.

Only three Maryland counties operate under a strict local immigration enforcement model that permits local police to identify and help remove detained illegal immigrants before they are released back into the community.

Harford, Frederick and Cecil Counties are the only Maryland jurisdictions that follow a jail enforcement model. No Maryland county follows a warrant service process outlined by the federal government.

How immigration may affect Maryland's U.S. Senate race

When questioned about her record on illegal immigration as the leader of Prince George’s County, Alsobrooks's campaign pushed back late Tuesday night.

“Unfortunately, the federal government has failed to reform our immigration and border policies, leaving counties across Maryland to fill the gap,” Gina Ford, a spokesperson for Angela Alsobrooks's U.S. Senate campaign,said.

That’s why Angela supported the recent bipartisan reforms to add border patrol agents and fund ICE, but that reform was blocked by Mitch McConnell and the same band of Senate Republicans who recruited and are supporting Larry Hogan,” Ford added.

Hogan said during the launch of his U.S. Senate bid that illegal immigration was one of the deciding factors that pushed him to enter the race.

“Earlier this year, when I saw a bipartisan compromise that would have helped secure the border fail because of politics, I decided I needed to step up and do something about it by running for Senate,” Hogan said.

Hogan’s campaign fired back at the Alsobrooks campaign statement on Wednesday.

“For eight years, Governor Hogan never put politics before public safety,” Hogan spokesperson Blake Kernen said in an emailed statement. “This is not partisan, it’s just common sense: drug dealers, gang members and sex-offenders who are here illegally should never be permitted back on our streets to terrorize our communities.”

It’s outrageous that Angela Alsobrooks has allowed this to occur without even notifying federal law enforcement at the expense of the safety and security of Prince George’s County families,” Kernen added.

Since Alsobrooks became county executive in late 2018, reported violent crime in Prince George’s County has increased 30.5%, according to the FBI.

Reported homicides while Angela Alsobrooks has been Prince George’s County Executive also increased. The FBI data shows Prince George’s County recorded 117 reported murders in 2023, compared to 60 murders in 2018.

Alsobrooks's campaign pointed to her record.

"Angela believes violent criminals belong in prison, and as State's Attorney, she cut violent crime in half," Ford said.

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