CONGRESS MEMBERS RALLY AROUND WIFE OF DEPORTED MARYLANDER: Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, joined by Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Rep. Glenn Ivey, both of Maryland, demanded answers Wednesday about the mistaken deportation of Marylander Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Van Hollen said a Maryland judge determined there were “no legal grounds whatsoever for his arrest, detention or removal.” He added that the judge found Abrego Garcia’s deportation “wholly lawless” and warned of the dangers he now faces in a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. Jade Tran of Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
- “Kilmar, if you can hear me, I’m still fighting for you. Your brother, your mother, our children are still fighting for you. But we’re not going to give up hope,” Jennifer Vasquez Sura — the spouse of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia — said during the news conference with lawmakers in a U.S. House office building. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
- “This so-called ‘administration error‘ has destroyed my family’s happiness,” Vasquez Sura said while surrounded by lawmakers, including members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Mitchell Miller/WTOP-FM.
MONTGOMERY POLICE WON’T HELP ICE ENFORCEMENT: Montgomery County police in Maryland do not take part in immigration enforcement, and Third District Cmdr. Jason Cokinos told reporters this week that will not change. Kate Ryan/WTOP-FM.
LAWMAKERS SPARE BLUEPRINT FOR EDUCATION FROM WORST CUTS: After months of uncertainty, Maryland legislators left the state’s landmark education law largely intact, mostly gutting Gov. Wes Moore’s bill to cut school spending by $1.6 billion over four years. The outcome put some education advocates at ease, reassuring them that school system budgets — already stretched by inflation — won’t take as big a hit as they’d feared. Funding for students living in poverty, special education students and students learning English won’t be significantly reduced, as Moore had proposed. Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.
HOW OTHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION FAIRED: While most eyes were locked on the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future this legislative session, a number of other education bills made their way through the legislature in the 90-day session that wrapped Monday. Some fell victim to budget constraints as the state sought to plug a massive deficit; others are headed to the governor’s desk for his signature. Maya Lora, Kristen Griffith and Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.
IN YEAR 3, MOORE HITS A ROUGH PATCH: Gov. Wes Moore had smooth sailing his first two years in Annapolis. This year has been different. In the $2 billion in cuts Moore proposed, he’d asked Dems to sacrifice long held priorities. In many cases, they refused or tailored bills to their liking. On education, housing or expanding beer and wine sales to grocery stores, Moore couldn’t always convince them to follow his lead. Brenda Wintrode and Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
MOORE REMAINS OPTIMISTIC DESPITE STRUGGLES OVER STATE’s FINANCIAL HEALTH: Gov. Wes Moore began the legislative session struggling with two tough choices: cut spending or raise taxes to resolve a $3.3 billion budget deficit. On Monday, the last day of the session, he was still grappling with both. Though the state was on track to pass its largest budget at $67 billion, with $1.6 billion worth of tax and fee hikes, Moore flashed an optimistic smile as he rattled off signs of economic progress, such as lower unemployment and a higher number of business starts. Candy Woodall/The Baltimore Sun.
STATE HOUSING SECRETARY VISITS CAROLINE COUNTY: Jake Day, the state’s secretary of housing and community development, visited Caroline County as part of his tour through the state Wednesday. While in Denton, Day spoke with businesses owners, development officials and county officials and conducted a walking tour of downtown to identify places where state money could be leveraged. Ahmad Garnett/The Easton Star Democrat.
FRUSTRATED FEDERAL WORKERS TAKE TO AN I-95 OVERPASS TO PROTEST: It was Friday afternoon rush hour on Interstate 95, and more than 40 Marylanders gathered on a Howard County overpass above eight lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic to holler into the wind. They unfurled American flags and dangled handmade posters lambasting President Donald Trump’s administration and the Department of Government Efficiency from the Gorman Road overpass. Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Banner.
3 CANDIDATES PICKED TO FILL HARFORD COUNCIL VACANCY: The District B Harford County Council seat vacated by the removal of Aaron Penman in late February will soon be filled by one of three candidates. They are Russell English, Allison Imhoff and Joe Xavier. The Harford County Republican Central Committee recommended them to the council, since Penman is a Republican. Penman was removed from his seat after a judge ruled that his dual employment as a council member and a sergeant with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office violated the county charter. Shaela Foster/The Aegis.
