Maryland AG Sues to Block Washington County ICE Facility, Locals Plan Weekly Protests at County Meetings

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has initiated a lawsuit aimed at halting the construction of a significant Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Washington County, Maryland. The legal action challenges the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) and ICE’s acquisition of a warehouse for conversion into a detention center, asserting that the project was undertaken without required environmental assessments, public input, or consultation with the state. Meanwhile, local residents continue to organize, including a petition and weekly silent protests amid the County’s refusal to allow residents to comment during County Commissioner meetings, and other perceived transparency and accountability concerns.

The lawsuit contends that federal authorities proceeded with the purchase of the warehouse, located near Williamsport, for over $100 million without fulfilling federal mandates for environmental review and without allowing Maryland or its residents a voice in the decision-making process. Governor Wes Moore has voiced strong opposition, emphasizing that no administration is exempt from the law and that decisions impacting community health, safety, and well-being require public scrutiny. The state asserts that DHS must adhere to the same legal standards as other federal agencies.

“The Trump Administration will stop at nothing to pursue its extreme immigration agenda – including breaking the law. DHS purchased this facility while keeping the State and the public in the dark, spending more than $100 million in federal taxpayer dollars without performing the required environmental review and without giving Maryland or Marylanders any voice in the process,” said Attorney General Brown. “We will not allow this Administration to treat laws like suggestions and threaten our people or their communities.”

The property in question, acquired by ICE on January 16, 2026, spans 54 acres and features an 825,620-square-foot warehouse constructed between 2021 and 2023. The facility was originally designed as a commercial space and reportedly includes minimal office facilities and limited basic amenities. DHS plans to transform this industrial warehouse into a detention center with a capacity to hold 1,500 individuals. This planned capacity is noteworthy, as the town of Williamsport itself has a population of just over 2,000 residents. Concerns have been raised about the potential for inhumane conditions, inadequate medical care, and a general lack of dignity for detainees, drawing on documented issues at other ICE detention facilities nationwide. The conversion of a commercial warehouse into a detention center is expected to exacerbate these concerns.

“This lawsuit confirms what residents have been saying all along – this ICE facility was rushed, secretive, and wildly out of step with the will of the community,” said Patrick Dattilio, Hagerstown Rapid Response organizer in a statement to Radio Free Hub City. “While families were asking for transparency, the Washington County Board of County Commissioners was busy rolling out the welcome mat and gift-wrapping our community for federal contractors. Hagerstown deserves leadership that stands up for its residents. If our commissioners won’t stand up for the people who elected them, then we will.”

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) mandates that federal agencies conduct environmental reviews before undertaking major actions that could significantly impact the environment. These reviews typically involve assessing environmental effects, exploring alternatives, consulting with relevant state and federal agencies, and allowing for public comment. The lawsuit alleges that DHS and ICE bypassed these crucial steps, violating NEPA by proceeding with the property purchase and construction plans without any such review. Furthermore, the complaint argues that the agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to provide a clear explanation for their decision, neglecting to consider reasonable alternatives, and departing from their established practice of conducting environmental reviews for similar detention facility projects without providing a justifiable reason.

Radio Free Hub City submitted an expedited FOIA request on January 28, 2026 to DHS for NEPA Compliance documents regarding the facility. To date, no response has been received.

In response to the planned facility, local community groups, including Hagerstown Rapid Response, Washington County Indivisible, and Empathy+Action=Change, have organized protests. Since Washington County Commissioners continue to prohibit residents from commenting on local issues at their regular meetings, residents opposed to the proposed ICE detention facility have been encouraged to attend Washington County Board of County Commissioners meetings to express their feelings on the matter through silent protests. These protests aim to raise awareness and advocate for community involvement in decisions that affect the area, and will occur at 9 am and 6 pm by holding signs during the Commissioner meetings. Residents attending should arrive early to ensure seating, and bring signs no larger than 12 inches by 24 inches. Both protests will take place at the County’s 100 W. Washington Street location.

Organizers plan on holding protests weekly in opposition to the facility, and also started a petition to stop the facility.

“Snow will not stop our community from standing together. We will show up every week until there is transparency and accountability”, said Dattilio.

The acquisition of the Williamsport warehouse is reportedly part of a larger federal strategy to expand detention infrastructure across the country, involving the purchase and conversion of warehouses into large-scale detention centers. Maryland has a stated commitment to preventing inhumane, unsanitary, and dangerous detention practices and ensuring that communities have a say in decisions that affect their neighborhoods. The new federal facility poses potential risks to local waterways, including the Potomac River watershed, state-protected species, air quality, traffic, and overall public health and safety. The lawsuit aims to protect the state’s interests in its natural resources, public health and safety, and the values of its communities.

DHS/ICE did not immediately return our request for comment regarding the lawsuit.

Washington County Government has consistently referred our media comment requests to the Maryland Public Information Act request process, which takes typically 30 days for response and is unsuitable for news media coverage. Therefore Radio Free Hub City will not request comment from Washington County Government regarding this or any future stories until this approach from the County has changed. We have also refused any phone conversations with Washington County Government or elected officials, and henceforth require all comments be submitted electronically via email, which is in line with the County’s current policy of only accepting resident comments via email. We will happily publish any submitted written comments on behalf of the county should the county decide to submit them.

The County’s official resolution supporting ICE can be found here. All of our documents related to the facility are available in our document repository, below.

Article by Mel Anara based upon information from Attorney General Anthony G. Brown’s Office, Hagerstown Rapid Response, and previous coverage.

---