Candidate Murphy pledges to enforce Maryland immigration laws, gains Frederick sheriff's support

Crofton, Maryland, July 14, 2010 – Brian Murphy, Republican Candidate for Governor of Maryland, continues to stand firm in his commitment to protect Maryland citizens and enforce Maryland Laws. Murphy is the only candidate to have formalized his commitment to Arizona’s Immigration Bill (SB 1070) . And today, Murphy announced his support for statewide participation in Program 287(g). With this announcement, Murphy gained the support of Frederick Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, the only law enforcement official in Maryland to participate in 287(g).

Shown in a just released video , the two leaders discuss their shared vision and plans to partner together to curtail illegal immigration in Maryland. This endeavor would include applying a statewide enforcement of a program modeled after Sheriff Chuck Jenkins’ successful participation in Program 287(g), in which criminals detained by law enforcement officials in Frederick, who are later found to be in the United States illegally, are turned over to ICE authorities.

“[Through our participation in 287(g)] we have taken 650 criminals off the street of Frederick County. They have committed crimes, and they are in this country illegally,” said Jenkins. “Brian has my full support. We need a Governor of Maryland that is going to enforce the law.”

“Maryland citizens deserve a Governor who will enforce our laws. Program 287(g) is important to the safety of every Marylander, and I intend to promote the program as Governor. Illegal immigration is a huge problem in the United States, and it is a huge problem in Maryland. As Governor, I will be Maryland’s Chief Executive Officer, and Maryland’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer. And I will never shy away from either role,” said Murphy.

“Sheriff Jenkins is a leader in enforcing our immigration laws and he has my full support. He is doing a great service to ensure the safety of the citizens in Frederick, and in Maryland. His participation in program 287(g) must be emulated by other law enforcement officials. I look forward to working with Sheriff Jenkins on this critical issue,” said Murphy.

“I have complete faith in the men and women who serve our state in various public safety capacities. As I have said before, immigration is a public safety issue, it is a national security issue, and it is a law enforcement issue. It is not a race issue, and I will not allow it to become a race issue. I have confidence in our public safety officials to enforce our laws without prejudice,” continued Murphy.

Last week, Murphy signaled that law enforcement and accountability would be top priorities of his administration when he announced Mike Ryman as his running mate. Ryman, a former Marine Officer, FBI Agent, and Congressional Investigator, spent the majority of his career rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in the public and private sector. Ryman currently is a college forensics professor.

Brian Murphy and Robert Ehrlich are running in the Republican Primary on September 14. Governor Martin O’Malley is running in the Democratic Party Primary on September 14. The winners of the respective parties’ elections will square off against each other in the November 2 General Election. Brian Murphy is a successful Maryland businessman with a BA in Economics from the University of Maryland and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He is founder of the Plimhimmon Group, whose first investment, the Smith Island Baking Company, has been featured in The Washington Post, the Wharton Magazine, the Baltimore Sun, BusinessWeek and other publications for its principled approach to job creation in Maryland.

For more information on the Brian Murphy for Governor campaign, see www.BrianMurphy2010.com . To set up a press or media interview with Murphy, please contact Karla Graham at Karla@BrianMurphy2010.com or (410) 924-4577.