By: Cathryn Paul, Public Policy Director, CASA in Action
As the election approaches, immigration has taken center stage in the debate, with anti-immigrant promises at the core of both former President Trump's and the Republican Party's platform. From mass deportations to dismantling our asylum system, more is at stake for our rights and freedoms than ever before. Larry Hogan has attempted to distinguish himself from Trump and right-wing Republicans, but truthfully, Mr. Hogan is more Trump-like than he makes himself out to be.
During his two terms as governor, Hogan cultivated a deeply troubling legacy on immigration. Amid the pandemic, he deliberately excluded hundreds of thousands of Maryland families—many of whom included essential workers—from his 2021 relief package solely because of their immigration status, mirroring similar actions taken by Trump at the federal level. When the Democratic legislature attempted to include immigrant taxpayers in this vital relief, Hogan threatened to torpedo the entire bill rather than extend aid to those without permanent status.
Hogan tied relief eligibility to the earned income tax credit, fully aware that immigrants without status were ineligible. After a massive community-led campaign, the Maryland legislature passed an emergency bill to expand these credits to immigrant taxpayers. Despite the critical need and the millions that Maryland immigrants contribute in taxes, Hogan refused to sign the bill, which ultimately became law without his signature.
Hogan’s discrimination against immigrant families during the pandemic is only part of his troubling record. He vetoed multiple pro-immigrant bills, including measures to prevent racial profiling and protect the privacy of personal information provided to state agencies. It’s no wonder Trump endorsed him.
Nationally, Hogan made headlines for criticizing Trump’s family separation policies at the border. Yet here in Maryland, he profited from the detention of immigrants. He vetoed the Dignity Not Detention Act, which aimed to end ICE detention in Maryland and stop law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status. This landmark immigrant rights victory ended the shameful practice of relying on immigrant detention as a revenue stream to pad county budgets. Not only did Hogan veto; he actively campaigned against the bill, branding it as “sanctuary legislation” and dismissing it as a “solution in search of a problem.”
In the same year, Hogan vetoed the Driver Privacy Act, which sought to protect immigrant drivers from unjust ICE targeting. He also vetoed the Dream Act Expansion, which would have strengthened in-state tuition protections for undocumented students—a law previously supported by a supermajority of Maryland voters. Fortunately, the Maryland legislature, with new leadership, overrode Hogan’s vetoes on these critical pieces of legislation.
Beyond these vetoes, Hogan refused to sign multiple other immigration reform bills that eventually became law without his support. The Healthy Babies Equity Act, which expanded Medicaid to immigrant mothers, and the Governor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs legislation both passed without his signature. While Hogan once made headlines for publicly supporting refugees, that acceptance was short-lived. Marylanders remember that he later requested that the federal government stop sending the Syrian refugees to Maryland that he had so famously once welcomed. For many, it was unsurprising, considering his deafening silence on Trump’s first Muslim ban in 2017.
While Hogan claims he doesn’t seek Trump’s endorsement, there’s no denying why Trump sees him as a leader worth backing. Their shared approach to immigration and willingness to undermine immigrant communities align them closely, making Hogan’s rejection of the endorsement meaningless.
Maryland has made significant strides in supporting immigrant families, but this progress occurred despite Hogan’s leadership, not because of it. His broader record includes opposition to raising the minimum wage, expanding paid sick leave, and advancing education reform.
As Hogan fights to win the Senate seat, his history signals alignment with Senate Republicans and a continuation of his, and Trump's, harsh stance on immigration. Regardless of the election outcome, one thing is clear: Larry Hogan is no friend to the immigrant community.
