Judge Blocks ICE Warehouse Conversion for 1,500 Detainees After Maryland Lawsuit
A federal judge has temporarily halted construction of a new ICE detention facility planned in western Maryland, escalating a growing legal battle between state officials and the federal government.
The ruling pauses work on a warehouse near Williamsport that was being converted into a detention center capable of holding up to 1,500 migrants facing deportation. According to Reuters and The Washington Post, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed an emergency motion arguing the project moved forward without required environmental reviews.
U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson agreed the federal government likely failed to follow the National Environmental Policy Act before beginning construction.
The order immediately blocks renovation work for at least 14 days while the broader lawsuit proceeds.
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Brown said the ruling is a significant step toward forcing federal agencies to follow environmental law, while the Department of Homeland Security dismissed the lawsuit as politically motivated.
The proposed facility is part of a wider federal effort to expand detention capacity nationwide, but projects like the Maryland center have drawn increasing legal and political opposition.
For now, construction is frozen as the court weighs whether the project can legally continue.
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