HAGERSTOWN, Md. — A federal judge in Maryland has agreed to temporarily bar ICE from building a controversial detention facility in Washington County.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown recently sued the Trump Administration after it purchased a 54 acre warehouse located at Wright and Hopewell Roads in Williamsport.
The feds planned on converting the property into an immigration detention center.
On March 6 ICE awarded a construction contract to begin renovations.
Despite local Washington County lawmakers already approving the move, Brown and company argued the federal government failed first to conduct an environmental review of potential impacts the project could have on the Potomac River.
"The warehouse sits adjacent to Semple Run, a stream that feeds into the Conococheague Creek and ultimately the Potomac River – waterways that are home to state-protected and endangered species," Brown said in court documents. "Construction activity is likely to cause sediment runoff and pollution to those waters, and the facility’s existing sewer and water infrastructure is wholly insufficient to support a detention center of this size."
Judge Brendan Hurson, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, said his order is good for 14 days at which time a decision will be made whether to extend the block.
In the meantime, the Federal Government has the option to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to address Brown's concerns.
Typically requests for appeal aren't filed until a preliminary injunction is issued, which is not yet the case here.
