BALTIMORE, Md. - Attorney General Anthony Brown has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general challenging federal immigration agents’ practice of making civil immigration arrests without warrants.
Brown filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in support of a lawsuit challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s arrest practices.
According to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, under federal law, immigration officers making warrantless civil arrests must have probable cause to believe someone is unlawfully in the United States and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained. Brown and the other attorneys general argue that federal agents are making arrests without properly determining whether people are likely to flee.
Brown said the arrests affect not only those taken into custody, but also their families and surrounding communities.
Brown cited the case of a Maryland mother who feared joining her son, who has asthma, at a Washington, D.C., hospital because she was afraid of being detained. The office says a Prince George’s County educator also reported an increase in students seeking mental health support following immigration raids.
According to the office, the brief argues that aggressive immigration enforcement has disrupted education, affected public health and safety, separated families and hurt local businesses. It also says federal agents wearing masks and using unmarked vehicles have contributed to fear and uncertainty in affected communities.
The office says the case, Escobar-Molina v. DHS, challenges the federal government’s policy of conducting warrantless civil immigration arrests in Washington, D.C. In December 2025, a federal district court granted part of a request for a preliminary injunction.
Brown said the coalition is asking the appeals court to ensure federal immigration agents follow the law.
The coalition includes attorneys general from Delaware, Virginia, New York, California and other states, along with the District of Columbia.
