In a bold rebuke of harsh federal immigration policies, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has signed an executive order launching the Maryland Immigrant Rights Protection Task Force, a move that has earned widespread praise from immigrant advocacy organizations across the country.
Based in California, the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), a leading group focused on defending the rights of Haitian and Caribbean immigrant communities, has lauded Moore’s action as a critical stand for justice at a moment when immigrant populations across the United States face growing hostility from the Trump administration.
The 12-month interagency task force will bring together multiple state bodies, including the Maryland Attorney General’s office, to coordinate cross-system efforts to shield immigrant residents from widespread harm, including fraud, economic exploitation, and systemic discrimination. Speaking to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) from San Diego, HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef emphasized that the new initiative arrives at an urgent turning point for vulnerable immigrant communities.
“Across the nation, immigrant groups are facing increasingly sophisticated scams engineered by bad actors who exploit their fear of deportation, on top of the Trump administration’s draconian, racist policies that target and persecute immigrant communities,” Jozef explained. “This task force is both a protection for our communities and a direct response to these harmful actions. Over the next year, its core work will focus on strengthening existing safeguards and enforcing accountability for those who harm immigrants.”
Jozef commended Moore for taking decisive, proactive action to protect immigrant families, noting that the executive order sends an unmissable message: all people residing in Maryland, regardless of immigration status, deserve dignity, safety, and equal protection under the law. “By proactively addressing the unique challenges immigrant communities face and holding bad actors accountable, Maryland is showing the country what courageous, principled leadership looks like,” she added. She also reaffirmed HBA’s longstanding commitment to partnering with policymakers, community organizers, and local leaders across the U.S. to advance policies that protect the rights and well-being of all immigrants.
For his part, Governor Moore highlighted the massive, underrecognized contributions that immigrants make to Maryland when he signed the order. Immigrants make up roughly 17% of the state’s total population and account for nearly 22% of Maryland’s entire labor force, meaning they are a core pillar of the state’s economic and social fabric.
“Despite the enormous contributions immigrants make to our state’s economic, social, and cultural life, many immigrant Marylanders have faced systemic discrimination and substandard access to critical services for decades, from legal support to employment opportunities and housing,” Moore said. “More recently, we have seen a sharp rise in predatory new schemes that target immigrants, who are often too fearful of federal immigration enforcement to report abuse to authorities.”
The governor stressed that this exploitative activity does not only harm immigrant families—it also undermines fair market competition, distorts local economies, and erodes public safety for all Maryland residents. “Our immigrant communities make Maryland a better, stronger state. I have been clear: we will not stand idly by while bad actors prey on members of our community,” Moore said. “By forming this task force, we are demonstrating the unity and strength of our state when we stand together against injustice.”
The new executive order follows Moore’s pledge to address the fraud and exploitation of immigrant residents during his annual State of the State address earlier this year. This is not the first pro-immigrant action Moore has taken: earlier in 2025, he signed legislation designating schools and hospitals as “safe spaces” that are off-limits for federal civil immigration enforcement, and banned state and local governments from deputizing local law enforcement to carry out federal immigration actions. In February, Moore also publicly raised objections to the Department of Homeland Security’s plan to develop and operate an ICE detention facility near Williamsport, in a letter sent to then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
The task force will be chaired by Moore’s own Office of Immigrant Affairs, and its work will center on addressing rising exploitation, strengthening anti-discrimination protections, and coordinating state resources to better serve immigrant communities across Maryland.