Maryland Attorney General Takes Legal Action to Halt ICE Facility Construction and Investigate Baltimore Detention Conditions

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has secured a court order pausing construction at a warehouse near Williamsport, Maryland, that the federal government plans to convert into an immigration detention facility. This immediate halt is part of a larger legal effort challenging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for their alleged failure to conduct adequate environmental reviews before commencing construction. The state’s motion sought a temporary stop to building activities for up to 14 days, allowing the court time to consider the broader lawsuit.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland granted an emergency motion, issuing a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that immediately halts any construction or retrofitting of the warehouse. This legal intervention comes as the federal government is rapidly proceeding with plans to transform the site into a large-scale immigration detention center. The Attorney General’s office expressed concern that federal immigration authorities are moving forward without adhering to proper legal processes and environmental regulations, potentially causing irreversible harm to the state’s natural resources and communities.

“Today a federal court handed Maryland a critical victory, stopping construction that threatened our waterways, endangered species, and communities before irreversible harm could be done,” said Brown. “Though temporary, this ruling stops the construction of this massive immigration detention center while our lawsuit continues to play out in court. We will not let DHS and ICE rush through the proper legal process in their haste to ramp up deportations. We will keep fighting to make sure the law is followed and Marylanders are protected.” 

The lawsuit against DHS and ICE, filed on February 23, 2026, challenges the federal government’s purchase and planned conversion of the warehouse. The state argues that this significant federal undertaking was initiated without essential environmental impact assessments, public input, or necessary consultation with Maryland officials. The emergency motion was filed shortly after a construction contract was awarded on March 6, 2026, signaling an expedited timeline for renovation. The Attorney General’s office emphasized the urgent need for judicial intervention to prevent potential sediment runoff and pollution into Semple Run, a stream that feeds into Conococheague Creek and the Potomac River, impacting protected species. Concerns have also been raised regarding the adequacy of existing water and sewer infrastructure at the warehouse to support a facility of the proposed size, with potential implications for inhumane living conditions. The temporary pause is intended to give the court sufficient time to thoroughly review the state’s legal arguments before any permanent environmental damage occurs. Ultimately, the legal actions aim to protect Maryland’s natural resources, safeguard public health and safety, and ensure state residents have a voice in decisions with significant local impact.

Locally, some organizations are supporting the Attorney General’s motion.

“This warehouse was built to store pallets, not people,” said Claire Connor, organizer with Hagerstown Rapid Response. “Turning it into a high-density detention center without environmental review, infrastructure planning, or community consent is exactly the kind of reckless shortcut Washington County residents have been fighting.”

In parallel legal proceedings, Attorney General Brown has also filed a federal lawsuit against ICE and DHS, seeking to obtain records related to an ongoing investigation into allegations of dangerous and inhumane conditions within ICE “hold rooms” at the George H. Fallon Federal Building in Baltimore. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office (OAG) Civil Rights Division and Federal Accountability Unit launched this investigation in late January 2026, prompted by concerns monitored since the summer of 2025. Internal video footage, detainee declarations, and media reports raised suspicions of potential civil rights violations, including overcrowding, prolonged detentions beyond legal limits, denial of essential medical care, inadequate provision of food and water, unsanitary conditions, and obstruction of access to legal counsel.

Court documents from a related class-action lawsuit describe conditions where numerous individuals, sometimes between 40 to 50 people, have been held in small rooms, approximately 15-by-15 feet. Detainees reportedly slept in seated positions without bedding in cold temperatures. A federal court noted on March 6, 2026, that individuals are “routinely held there overnight and in excess of 12 hours,” often extending beyond 72 hours, raising questions about potential violations of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Allegations include detainees not receiving sanitary products and being forced to endure unsanitary environments for extended periods. One account details a leukemia patient being denied necessary cancer medication for two days. A whistleblower from the Baltimore ICE field office corroborated detainee accounts, reporting blankets contaminated with bodily fluids and a lack of hygiene products for menstruating women.

The hold rooms are designed for short-term stays, not to exceed 12 hours, and lack showers and on-site medical staff. They are equipped with a single open toilet per room. Despite these limitations, individuals have reportedly been detained there for days or even weeks. The Baltimore facility has, at times, housed over 120 individuals in a single day, significantly exceeding its stated capacity of 56. An internal memo from ICE’s Deputy Field Office Director in February 2025 reportedly warned of potential liability and fatalities due to the absence of medical staffing.

The OAG issued an administrative subpoena to DHS and ICE on January 30, 2026, requesting records pertaining to hold room conditions, detainee demographics, and the legal justifications for detentions. ICE reportedly denied this subpoena in its entirety on February 25, citing broad objections regarding scope and burden without providing specific regulatory justifications or offering partial information. After further communication from the OAG detailing these deficiencies, ICE indicated it would need until April 6 to determine if any information could be shared. The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland argues that ICE’s refusal to comply with the subpoena is unlawful and constitutes an unreasonable delay under the Administrative Procedure Act. The OAG is seeking a court order to compel DHS and ICE to produce the requested documents. Maryland law empowers the Attorney General to investigate potential civil rights violations and act when federal actions negatively affect the health and welfare of state residents, making this investigation critical as ICE plans significant expansion of immigration detention in Maryland.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown’s Office.

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