How my 'Blue' state leg is fighting authoritarianism . . . and how yours can too

Maryland Democrats work to protect their residents from federal overreach

Dear “Blue State” Legislators (and residents),

There have been increasing calls for “Blue States” and their elected representatives to step up. “Blue states” are those with Democratic trifecta—a Democratic governor and a Democratic majority in both houses of the legislature. If you are an elected Democrat in a trifecta state, your state has received extra ire from the administration, and you, personally, have heard the pain of your constituents, the calls for redistricting, and the pleas for you to do more. To do more to protect residents, to hold ICE accountable for their cruel, immoral, and illegal activity, and just in general to DO MORE.

In Maryland, where the legislature is currently in session, a growing number of legislators has determined to do more. This year, we are exercising the power we have in novel ways. I want to share how we are doing this and some of the specific bills we are filing. These bills could be models for other “Blue States”, and even some “Purple States” as constituents demand action from Republican lawmakers.

State legislatures have special powers

I am the proud granddaughter of immigrants and refugees who fled the Armenian genocide. I grew up hearing their stories and learning about the terrible things that happen when humans are dehumanized and authoritarians are in control. I also learned about their neighbors who risked their lives so that my grandparents could survive. Even before I was studying history and current events, I understood that in the face of dehumanization, each of us has choices to make. Like many of you, as I continued to learn of the brutal periods of our own and the world’s history, I wondered who I would have been in the face of fascism and authoritarianism.

We no longer need to wonder who we would have been. We know because it is who we are now—in the way we are meeting the moment, and how we manage and work through the disbelief, rage, terror, and terrible sense of the limitations of decency, rationality, and good governance in the face of the brutality of our now authoritarian government.

Authoritarians want us to think that we are powerless. They want us to think that the most sensible way to resist is to lie low, keep our heads down, and wait for some “right moment” to act. But we know that silence is complicity and we have seen how silence and passivity embolden the Trump administration. We understand the choice and the consequences of the choice. We will not be intimidated. We will stand up for and use our rights. We have power. As a legislator, I want to use the power I have to combat Federal authoritarianism. Those of us in “Blue State” legislatures have the ability to fight in ways that other entities cannot.

How we are meeting the moment in Maryland

In Maryland, we have found our power. In my district (D-20) and across the state, we will not be silenced. We are standing together, protesting, and helping one another. We build from the deep strength of communities across the district.

Our state government has been working to protect Marylanders. The state’s Attorney General has filed more than 100 lawsuits against the illegal activities of the Trump regime. The state has released funds to soften the blow of federal funding cuts to staff and programs, and has made additional investments in job training and in targeted support for those most impacted.

I, and many of my colleagues in the Maryland General Assembly (MGA), have introduced a range of bills designed to protect Marylanders and to hold accountable those who harm them. Just as individuals and communities are finding their power, so are we—state legislators.

Our legislative approach to combatting authoritarianism

The Federal government is not our friend and we need to stop considering them as a partner.

The first thing required is to stop treating the Federal government as your friend and partner. The Federal government does not care about you, the people of your great state, or humanity in general. They do not want the same things we want. You have permanently outgrown this relationship. This is a difficult thing for people like us. We pride ourselves on loyalty. We want to see the best in other people. We pride ourselves on empathy and working in community—and also on efficiency and getting things done. We believe in the power of government to do big things.

To combat authoritarianism at the state level, we must stop treating the Federal government like a partner. They are our legal adversary.

I say this out loud: they are our adversary. And someone invariably asks, “Isn’t there a danger that we will piss off Trump and ICE will do in Maryland what they are doing in Minneapolis?” First, Marylanders, my constituents, are suffering at the hands of ICE and from other decisions made by the federal government. Second, the Trump administration is already punishing Maryland and all the other “Blue States.” ICE already operates with impunity. We know that no autocracy has ever crumbled and no autocrat softened his stance in the face of silence and passivity. These things embolden autocrats.

Legislate to protect

What does it mean to stop treating the Feds as a partner?

It means we legislate to protect. We do whatever we can within our legal scope as a state, to make the lives and work of the autocracy, its agents, its collaborators, and its enablers more expensive, more complex, and more difficult. We throw sand in the gears, gum up the works. We become a drag, we slow them down.

From a legislative standpoint, we work to fortify the constitution and the laws that protect our people. We work to better protect the rights of Marylanders and to hold illegal actors accountable, no matter who they are. We fortify the laws under which businesses operate in our state.

Write laws, be creative, find your own lawyers and constitutional experts

As a delegate in the MGA, what I do—what we do—is write laws. We are focused now on writing laws that protect Maryland residents and constrain the authoritarians.

We understand that Federal law supersedes state law in some areas (immigration in particular), but we don’t throw up our hands and decide it’s too hard to push back. Instead, we get creative and determined. And we find a way forward within the jurisdiction we have.

Our lawyers and experts have guided us in crafting legislation that we think will stand up to judicial review. This includes looking at local ordinances to protect health and safety [HB 639; HB630] and clarifying definitions in existing legislation [HB 711] to strengthen rights. More information about these bills follows below.

Remember, you still have friends

Legislators in Maryland and in other blue states are there for you. We are happy to talk, trade recipes, and tips. We and others have developed legislation that you may be able to use as a model in your state.

I, and many of my colleagues in the General Assembly, have introduced a range of bills designed to protect Marylanders and to hold accountable those who harm them. We have introduced legislation to prohibit law enforcement from wearing masks [HB 155 / SB 0001] A bill to prohibit municipalities from entering into enforcement agreements with ICE [HB 444 / SB 245] has passed both the House and Senate and awaits the governor’s signature.

I am proud to be the primary sponsor of three bills which, when passed and signed by the governor, will enhance the safety of residents and the ability of the state to hold Federal actors and their collaborators accountable when they violate our rights and harm our residents. These are:

• Civil Actions - Violation of Constitutional Rights (No Kings Act) [HB 332 / SB 346] – The “No Kings” Act will give Maryland residents the ability to fight back when their civil rights have been violated by Federal agents. The Senate bill is being sponsored by Senators Waldstreicher and Smith.

• Data Privacy Act [HB 711] – This bill ensures that state agencies are a shield, not a conduit, for unwarranted federal overreach. This bill, sponsored by Senator Lam in the Senate, ensures that the federal government does not access Marylanders’ information that is held by Maryland agencies, either directly or through data brokers.

• Aviation Health and Safety Act of 2026 [HB 639] – This bill ensures that flights–especially those carrying Federal detainees–follow rules designed to preserve the health and safety of passengers and crew when they are passing through and refueling at our airports. Senator Lam is sponsoring this bill in the Senate as well.

Other colleagues in the MGA are also legislating to protect. Here are a few of their bills that will be heard this session:

• Delegates Moon and Martinez have introduced Public Safety - Federal Agents - Digital Unmasking [HB 351]. When a Federal agent has been involved in kidnapping, assault, excessive use of force, or is credibly accused of a civil rights violation, this bill will enable the identification of digital information related to the case.

• Delegate Ruth has introduced State Procurement - Constitutional Violations - Prohibited [HB 334]. This bill requires contractors, as a condition of bidding on a state contract, to certify that they are not engaging in any action that violates the U.S. or Maryland Constitution.

• Delegate Stewart has introduced Judicial Facilities - Stops, Detentions, and Arrests - Limitations [HB309]. This bill prohibits a person from being stopped, detained, or arrested for civil offenses while the individual is in a judicial facility or is traveling within 1 mile of a judicial facility for the purpose of attending a meeting, a hearing, or another official proceeding in the Judicial facility.

• Delegates Lopez, S. Johnson, and Solomon will be introducing the Employee Civic Activity and Lawful Expression Protection Act. This bill will help safeguard individuals’ constitutional rights to speech and assembly by prohibiting adverse employment action based on lawful off–duty political, civic, or expressive activity.

• Correctional Services - Immigration Detention Facilities - Original Design and Construction [HB630] will prevent ICE from operating an immigration detention facility in Maryland warehouses–or in any other buildings, structures, or facilities that were not originally designed and constructed for the purpose of housing or detaining individuals.

In the Maryland General Assembly, we are determined to meet the moment. I know there are many other state legislators across the country committed to do the same. We look forward to coordinating with you.

It is a privilege and an opportunity to be a legislator in this time.

If you found this useful, please share, restack, and feel free to add your experiences in the comments.