Olszewski’s ICE Flip-Flop Exposes the Politics Behind Maryland’s Immigration Debate

By MDBayNews Staff

Maryland’s immigration debate took a revealing turn this week when Johnny Olszewski stood alongside faith leaders in Baltimore to condemn Immigration and Customs Enforcement as “deadly” and “unconstitutional.” The optics were deliberate. The message was clear. And the hypocrisy was impossible to miss.

Because before Johnny O became a member of Congress, he was Baltimore County Executive—and during that time, his administration signed and maintained an agreement with ICE.

That fact was not lost on Robin Grammer, who publicly called out the reversal, accusing Olszewski of turning his back on law enforcement for political gain. The charge deserves serious attention, because this isn’t just a rhetorical shift—it’s a pattern increasingly common in Maryland politics.

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From Cooperation to Condemnation

As county executive, Olszewski presided over a jurisdiction that cooperated with federal immigration authorities. Those agreements existed for a reason: to coordinate on serious criminal matters, reduce repeat offenses, and protect local communities.

Now, as a federal officeholder with higher political ambitions and a progressive primary electorate, Olszewski describes ICE as an unconstitutional threat that must be opposed outright.

That’s not evolution. That’s reinvention.

If ICE was truly “deadly” and unconstitutional, why was cooperation acceptable when Olszewski held executive authority? And if the agreements were wrong then, where was the public reckoning, the apology, or the admission of error?

None came—only a rebrand.

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Faith Leaders as Political Shield

The use of faith leaders as moral cover has become a familiar tactic in Maryland’s immigration debate. By framing opposition to ICE as a religious duty, politicians insulate themselves from scrutiny while avoiding hard questions about public safety, rule of law, and federalism.

But faith rhetoric doesn’t erase legal reality.

ICE is a federal agency created by Congress, operating under statutes upheld repeatedly by the courts. Local cooperation agreements—like 287(g)—are legal, voluntary, and focused on individuals already in custody for crimes. Disagreeing with their use is a policy position. Declaring them unconstitutional is political theater.

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The Maryland Pattern: Enforcement When Convenient, Outrage When Useful

Olszewski’s pivot mirrors a broader trend among Maryland Democrats:

• Support law enforcement quietly when holding executive responsibility
• Condemn law enforcement loudly when campaigning or climbing the ladder
• Frame enforcement as “inhumane” once personal accountability disappears

This isn’t about compassion versus cruelty. It’s about consistency versus convenience.

Marylanders deserve leaders who can defend their decisions even when the political winds change—not ones who disown yesterday’s policies to appease today’s activist base.

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What This Really Signals

This episode isn’t just about ICE. It’s about trust.

If a politician can cooperate with federal law enforcement one year and denounce the same agency as unconstitutional the next—without explanation—what else is negotiable? What principles are real, and which are temporary?

Maryland voters should ask that question now, before rhetoric replaces record entirely.

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Kicker:
In Maryland politics, enforcement is acceptable until ambition enters the room—and then yesterday’s signatures become today’s scandals.

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