HAGERSTOWN, Md. — A federal judge is giving Maryland more time to make its case against a planned ICE facility in Washington County, extending a temporary block on the project through at least April 16.
Attorney General Anthony Brown announced a lawsuit against the project on February 23, accusing the Federal Government of purchasing a 54-acre warehouse near Hagerstown with plans to turn it into an immigration detention center, without telling the State or conducting an environmental review.
In a statement, Brown said, "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.”
On February 10, the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution giving the facility its full support. Protesters attended the meeting and were ultimately asked to move outside after disrupting proceedings. Before the resolution was passed, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks wrote to the commission, questioning why the board did not take public comment before voting.
On March 12, Judge Brendan Hurson agreed to temporarily bar ICE from building the facility for 14 days, at which time he will decide whether to extend the block.
The Washington County Commissioners met with DHS on March 16 to discuss the project. They released a statement on what came out of that meeting, to address community concerns and the impact on local resources.
They clarified the new facility is a processing facility and not a detention center, with an average detainee stay of 3-7 days. They acknowledged the facility would have 1,500 beds but anticipate using 500 on a typical day. Detainees would be processed there but transferred to a detention center out of state for long-term needs. They added that this could open 1,125 jobs.
DHS has contracted with KVG, LLC to renovate the facility, making them responsible for all construction work, including assessing wastewater capacity and infrastructure needs. The federal government has agreed to cover any additional water or wastewater costs, including upgrades to the Wright Road Sewage Pump Station.
No future meeting has been scheduled with DHS, but the Washington County Commissioners said they will share all information with the public as it becomes available.
The next key date in the legal fight is the week of April 13.
