The Daily Fuckup

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit in federal court on July 9, 2026, against Maryland and Attorney General Anthony Brown over state sanctuary policies. In its complaint, DOJ says Maryland’s rules interfere with federal immigration enforcement and are preempted under the Supremacy Clause.

The department says Maryland has refused to cooperate fully with federal immigration authorities. In the press release announcing the case, DOJ alleged that facilities in the state have declined to facilitate transfers into federal custody even when presented with a routine detainer. That allegation is part of the government’s case, not a finding by the court.

DOJ also said the Maryland case is one of a series of immigration-related lawsuits it has brought this year against state and local policies it views as obstructing federal operations. The department said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche instructed the Civil Division to identify state and local laws that impede federal work.

Maryland’s 2026 legislative record includes House Bill 719, titled the Public Safety – Immigration Enforcement – Prohibition Against Sanctuary Policies Act, but the complaint’s legal claims and Maryland’s response will be sorted out in court. For now, the basic facts are straightforward: the lawsuit was filed July 9, the defendants are Maryland and Attorney General Anthony Brown, and DOJ is asking a federal judge to rule that the state’s sanctuary rules cannot stand.