A Sheriff Called Maryland “Disneyland for Illegal Immigrants.” Can a Wedding Photographer Oust Him?

Lana Foley, a wedding and portrait photographer from Maryland, made a late run for the position of sheriff in Wicomico County on the Eastern Shore. With no prior law enforcement experience, Foley believes the sheriff role is one of the most influential positions in a community. She grew up in a Republican household but switched to the Democratic Party after being denied coverage for her thyroid cancer treatment in 2013.

In 2024, Foley supported Kamala Harris and later founded Crabs on the Shore, a local branch of the national women-led mobilization group Red, Wine & Blue.

Foley's opponent, Sheriff Mike Lewis, has had a long-standing tenure in office, facing no challenge in the last four elections. Lewis has been an enthusiastic supporter of a 287(g) agreement, which would allow local officers to serve and execute administrative warrants on immigrants in jail, transferring them to ICE custody. Despite his controversial stance on immigration, Lewis gained national recognition as a "drug warrior" state trooper and was named sheriff of the year by the Claremont Institute in 2025.

Foley believes her opponent's long tenure in office may be due to the lack of any other viable options in the community. As she ran her campaign, she encouraged friends and family to support her, hoping to offer an alternative to the popular law-and-order sheriff in a Republican-leaning rural county. The growing rejection of Trump's anti-immigration policies may have contributed to Foley's chances of victory, as the potential backlash in Wicomico County and across the country reflects the shift in public opinion towards immigrants.