The 2026 Maryland legislative session is coming to an end shortly, with lawmakers working hard until the finish on April 13. More than 70 bills have been passed by both chambers during this session, with just three of them being signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore as of publication.
Two of them — SB245 and HB444 — prohibit state and local governmental bodies from entering agreements with immigration enforcement, as well as requiring that current agreements are terminated. The third has to do with event permits in Baltimore City.
Among those that supported the two new laws that address Maryland’s work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration authorities are the seven minority caucuses that exist in the Maryland legislature. The Maryland Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, Maryland Black Caucus, Maryland Latino Caucus, Maryland LGBTQ+ Caucus, Maryland Muslim Caucus, Maryland Women’s Caucus and Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus, all banded together to support the two bills.
The groups spoke as one on March 24 in Annapolis under the banner of “We are Maryland,” a group of lawmakers of different backgrounds who have common goals.
Del. Sean Stinnett of Baltimore County, a Democrat, is the chair of the Muslim Caucus and recently told Maryland Matters that the group’s purpose is to elevate each other’s voices, not just those of the members of their individual caucus.
That’s part of the reason that the Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus, as well as its peers, supported legislation this session that banned what are known as 287(g) programs, which are agreements between local law enforcement and ICE. Del. Jared Solomon, who co-chairs the Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus and represents Montgomery County, told WBAL TV last year that it is essential to make sure Maryland remains a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Sen. Shelly Hettleman is a co-chair of the Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus who represents part of Baltimore County. She told Baltimore Jewish Times in 2021 that she sees her work as a way to help improve life for all her constituents. Helping all, not just other Jews, is an important Jewish value.
“I found that being involved in government, helping to make policy and helping to have government be responsive to citizens, is a way to make life better for people,” Hettleman said at the time.
Del. Teresa Woorman of Montgomery County, a member of the Latino Caucus, told Maryland Matters that the legislation passed that limits 287(g) programs is monumental.
At the joint press conference in March, Solomon discussed work on legislation which would declare January as Muslim American Heritage Month and May as Jewish American Heritage Month. Solomon sponsored the bill in the House with Del. Sarah Wolek.
“We could have done two separate votes, but very early on, Del. Wolek and I got together and decided that the message of doing this bill together was so much stronger than doing them apart to show that our communities, we work together, we collaborate, and we are stronger when we do that,” he explained at the press conference.
Two other bills that Solomon highlighted are ones he said impact all communities, including updating the reporting requirements for bullying in schools that would see school systems identify if an incident was specific to a certain group of people in their reports to the Maryland Department of Education. Another “strengthens the penalty for anybody that would prevent access to a religious institution or to a religious institution school,” something he noted applies not only to synagogues, but to any house of worship.
“This is something that I look forward to doing again this session,” Solomon said at the joint press conference. “I think you see from the unity of folks here just how collaborative our caucuses are, how much we work together, how much we partner.”
The Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus has more than three dozen members representing a variety of communities in the state. It was launched in January 2024, largely inspired by the need for Jewish solidarity after the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Hettleman told Baltimore Jewish Times in 2024 that she had been considering forming a group of Jewish lawmakers prior to that, but that day and the surge in antisemitism that followed made her believe it was “the right thing to do.”
Solomon also told Baltimore Jewish Times in 2024 that the group holds the important task of making sure that “the Jewish people have a unified voice in Annapolis.”
Neither Solomon or Hettleman responded in time for this article.
According to USA Data Hub, in 2024, Maryland ranked eighth in the country in total Jewish population, with more than 240,000 Jews and fourth in Jews per capita, with 3.9% of the state being Jewish.
While the legislative session is ending next week, the coalition of minority caucuses is just getting started.
As Del. Adrienne Jones said in 2024, “The State of Maryland was founded on the principles of religious freedom and tolerance. I am confident that the Maryland Jewish Legislative Caucus will uphold this legacy and work diligently to help us combat the rising hate, intolerance, and antisemitism we’ve seen in our communities.”
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As Legislative Session Winds Down, Jewish Caucus Works to Partner With Peers – Baltimore Jewish Times
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