Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., expressed concern Monday on Newsmax that Democrat officials in Maryland might resist President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming deportation orders for illegal immigrants, particularly those with criminal records. Harris pointed to the case of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who was raped and murdered, allegedly by an El Salvadorian migrant, as an example of the consequences of lenient immigration policies.

“There are counties and jurisdictions in Maryland that are going to fight the deportation of criminals,” Harris said during his appearance on Wake Up America. “This is unbelievable to me, but they’re going to have to answer to their voters… because an overwhelming majority of Americans agree that you should be deporting people who are here illegally and have deportation orders.”

Harris criticized what he called “ultraprogressive” attitudes favoring open borders, saying, “One of our leaders locally actually said, ‘Well, if you deport a breadwinner, we’re going to support the rest of the family with public dollars.’ I mean, this is just unbelievable.”

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., recently suggested on CBS’ Face the Nation that Democrat officials who obstruct federal deportation efforts could face prosecution or removal from office for insurrection. Harris agreed with Paul, noting that federal law prohibits interference with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“We should begin prosecuting those local officials because they are working contrary to federal law,” Harris stated. “That’s not what the United States is about.”

Trump’s administration is expected to prioritize deportation operations targeting violent criminals. His nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security, former ICE Director Tom Homan, has pledged to aggressively enforce immigration laws, which may set up a clash with Democrat-led jurisdictions resisting federal deportation mandates.

Harris warned that failing to uphold these laws undermines public safety and violates federal statutes, urging accountability for local officials who choose to defy enforcement efforts.