As one of your state senators, I am proud to highlight some of my funding initiatives, bills and S.B. 245, which was assigned to the Judicial Committee Proceedings Committee, one of the committees I serve on.

Capital funding projects

As my constituents, you have a direct role in steering money back into our county to improve all our lives, and here are just a few examples.

Havre de Grace STAR Centre — Every dollar I bring back elevates this venue in my hometown in ways needed to bring ever higher quality live performance to sold out crowds.

Maryland Center for the Arts — This Bel Air area center, with live performances and educational opportunities, is continuing to complete its outdoor amphitheater.

Aberdeen Railroad Heritage Center — One of many important local museums, the funding will be to preserve the extensive history of rail transportation in our area.

Ashley Addiction Treatment — A world-renowned and pioneering leader in addiction and recovery treatment for the past 43 years with 65,000 patients and 125,00 families and counting, this campus serves our county, the state and the nation.

A few bills I am working on:

S.B. 221 — With the dramatic increase in child pornography and the ever-younger victims, I am sponsoring this bill to enhance penalties for crimes involving a high volume of images or prepubescent victims.

S.B. 465 — Domestic abusers intimidate their victims, making them too afraid to come to court. This bill, a top priority for the state’s attorney, will close a glaring loophole these criminals use and bring them to justice.

S.B. 906 — Fentanyl, which drug dealers are lacing into every kind of drug they sell, can kill victims instantly and threatens all the treatment advancements we have for those suffering from substance abuse. This bill will hold these dealers accountable for the lives they destroy.

S.B. 743 — E-bikes are growing in popularity, but so too are related injuries. Thanks to the hard work of the Bel Air police, this bill will bring together an expert workgroup to create model legislation to address this new “micromobility device.”

Lastly, I want to discuss S.B. 245, which requires the termination of one particular arrangement, known as 287(g) agreements, which allowed ICE to deputize local police to assist with immigration enforcement. I have long supported 287(g) agreements because of my respect for and confidence in our state’s sheriffs and police chiefs and, until now, for the career workforce of ICE because of its expert training and enforced high standards of ICE agents. While my local law enforcement respect and confidence remains, that for ICE is shattered irreparably until a new administration demands a return to the exacting requirements and standards expected of any so important and elite a law enforcement entity.

The federal government has the sole and exclusive jurisdiction over all aspects of immigration. For that reason, our local police, including those deputy sheriffs assisting ICE, have absolutely no influence, no knowledge and no control over the conduct of ICE across the country and here in Maryland. Even if every state and local law enforcement agency and every police officer continued to do all the right things that the law and 287(g) agreements ask of them, that would still make no difference with what ICE is currently doing. ICE would still be violating hundreds of court orders, trampling on constitutional law, needlessly creating sheer terror in some communities and exploiting young children.

I was the only senator who made a good-faith effort to find a compromise by creating amendments to S.B. 245. My amendments were based on the expertise and data collected by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.

Although passions were running too high and time too short to produce a better bill, I know a majority of my colleagues, both Republicans and Democrats, supported my amendment, and I believe they will make good on their commitment to restore the 287(g) agreement option in Maryland when all the law enforcement partners involved are worthy of the solemn obligations required.

Mary-Dulany James is a Democratic state senator representing District 34 in Harford County.