Judge extends pause on work to turn Maryland warehouse into immigrant detention
A federal judge on Wednesday extended a pause on the transformation of a massive Maryland warehouse into a processing facility for immigrants, in a development that comes as federal immigration officials review a plan to house tens of thousands of people in converted industrial buildings.
The Department of Homeland Security purchased the 825,000-square-foot (76,645-square-meter) building near the town of Hagerstown in Washington County in January for $102.4 million. Of 11 warehouses purchased nationwide, the one in Maryland was supposed to be one of the first to open, capable of housing between 500 and 1,500 inmates.
But the federal government has faced such fierce opposition nationally that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is reviewing the warehouse plan. And as Washington County officials approved a proclamation declaring their “unwavering support” for DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the state filed a lawsuit.
The Maryland lawsuit alleged that the federal government failed to conduct required environmental reviews. He said the building was in a flood plain and the federal government didn’t seek public comment on its plans until more than a month after purchasing the building.
Several groups raised concerns before the public comment period closed on March 5. But the suit says Immigration and Customs Enforcement, flush with cash from a massive congressional appropriation, issued a contract worth $113 million the next day to renovate the building, with that work expected to be completed by May 4.
Ultimately, a federal judge soon after issued a short-term temporary restraining order that halted renovation work on the building. After a hearing Wednesday, the judge agreed to a longer-term preliminary injunction that will only allow limited work, such as installing a fence and heating and cooling work, until the case is decided.
DHS said in a statement that it strongly disagreed with the decision.
“Let’s be honest about what’s happening,” the statement said. “This isn’t about the environment. This is about trying to stop President Trump from making America safer.”
In a previous court filing, the federal government said “ICE is reconsidering plans and scope of the warehouse.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called the preliminary injunction “a major and welcome step forward.” And Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said it proved that “no one, not even the federal government, is above the law.”
Matthew Schindler, a Maryland state delegate who also opposed the warehouse, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the plan pursued by immigration officials “went beyond accountability.”
He added: “We don’t want to see our community compromised because shortcuts have been cut. »
The Maryland lawsuit is one of three pending in federal court, and officials elsewhere have tried to block warehouse conversions by arguing that water and sewer infrastructure is inadequate.
“Washington County has become ground zero for all these warehouse battles,” said Kyle McCarthy of Hagerstown Rapid Response, which is fighting the project. “We helped show how other communities can fight back and prevent these phenomena from happening. We threw sand in the gears at every possible moment.”
___
AP reporter Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report.
