Maryland governor Wes Moore creates immigrant rights protection task force

Immigrant rights in Maryland are getting new state-level protection after Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order creating a special task force. The group will work for 12 months and focus on fraud, exploitation, legal scams, workplace abuses, housing problems and civil rights concerns affecting immigrant residents, as Baltimore Chronicle reports.

Why Maryland launched the new task force

Moore said the state would not ignore people who target immigrants. His administration says the new body will unite state agencies against abuse and injustice. The task force will be led by the Governor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. It will also work with the Attorney General’s Office and the Comptroller’s Office.

“We will not stand by while bad actors prey on immigrants in our community,” Moore said.

What the task force will investigate

The state wants to identify patterns of abuse before they become larger crises. Officials will focus on services and areas where immigrants can be most vulnerable.

Key areas include:

• legal services scams;
• workplace rights violations;
• housing and consumer complaints;
• civil rights issues;
• outreach and education gaps.

The task force is expected to improve coordination between agencies and immigrant communities. State officials say this work should help residents understand their rights faster.

Why this matters for Maryland

Immigrants make up about 17% of Maryland’s population and about 22% of its workforce. That makes the issue not only social, but also economic. Attorney General Anthony Brown said the task force should help immigrant Marylanders access services and protections they are owed.

The order gives Maryland a clearer structure for responding to complaints. It also signals that immigration-related exploitation will be treated as a statewide concern.

Earlier we wrote that repeat speeders will have to be electronically monitored before getting driver license back