Federal Judge orders temporary halt to planned ICE Detention Center in Maryland
A federal judge has temporarily halted construction and renovations on a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in western Maryland, siding with state officials who argued the project moved forward without a required environmental review.
U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson issued a temporary restraining order on March 11 that immediately pauses construction for up to 14 days while the court considers Maryland’s broader legal challenge against the federal government.
The dispute centers on a massive warehouse in Williamsport, near Hagerstown, that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) purchased in January for about $102.4 million. Federal officials planned to convert the 825,000-square-foot facility on a 54-acre site into a detention center capable of holding up to 1,500 immigrants.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown sued DHS and ICE in February, arguing the agencies violated federal law by moving ahead without completing an environmental impact review or allowing public input. The lawsuit claims the project could cause pollution from construction runoff into nearby Semple Run, which feeds into Conococheague Creek and eventually the Potomac River, and could threaten endangered species.
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Related, see: Maryland sues to block construction of $102 million ICE Detention Center near Williamsport
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In granting the temporary order, the judge wrote that the state had shown federal officials likely failed to meet their obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act and had not taken a “hard look” at potential environmental consequences.
The Trump administration’s plan called for extensive modifications to the warehouse, including installing security fencing, checkpoints, lighting, and sewer infrastructure to support the large detention population. Renovation work had been scheduled to begin March 6 and finish by early May under a $113 million contract awarded to a Pennsylvania-based construction firm.
Brown called the court decision a “critical victory,” saying the pause prevents potential environmental harm while the lawsuit proceeds. “We will not let DHS and ICE rush through the proper legal process in their haste to ramp up deportations,” he said.
Federal officials have previously defended the project, saying the detention facility would meet established standards and could create more than 1,100 jobs while generating tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue. Local leaders in Washington County had expressed support for the facility, though the plan has drawn criticism from immigrant-rights advocates and environmental groups.
The temporary restraining order will remain in place for up to two weeks as the federal court weighs Maryland’s request for a longer-term injunction and considers whether the project must undergo a full environmental review before construction can resume.
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Sources: Reuters; CBS News, WJLA)
(Cover photo: Image credit: X)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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