State agencies are making a big effort to help local governments and residents understand immigration law amidst federal changes in policies at #MACoCon.
During the 2026 MACo Summer Conference session, “Immigration Policy Shifts Across All Levels of Government,” speakers helped county officials and other stakeholders understand what has changed at both the federal, state, and local level where immigration enforcement is concerned.
State representatives from the Governor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) covered what each of their divisions are doing to help county officials and residents navigate the nuances of recent changes in state law. Jonathan Smith, Chief of the Civil Rights Division in the OAG, highlighted the guidance their office has published for local and state law enforcement officials. This has helped county public safety officials understand how to comply with the new laws in conjunction with federal law. Those documents are available on the OAG website.
Mari Dorn-Lopez, from the Governor’s immigrant affairs office focused more on how the state agencies are collaborating to provide services for Maryland residents who could be the subject of immigration enforcement actions. A primary component of that work is connecting individuals in need with legal resources and representation.
The third presenter on this panel was Sahana Mukherjee, Associate Director of Race and Ethnicity Research at the Pew Research Center. Her remarks were focused on what kinds of changes have taken place at the federal level, what those outcomes have shown from a research perspective, and how public opinion has been shaped by these events. Remarks were focused on how federal actions around temporary protected status, green cards, and birthright citizenship are effecting immigrant populations across the country.
More about MACo’s Summer Conference:
