A federal judge has ordered a two-week halt on construction and conversion work at a Washington County warehouse that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to turn into an immigration detention and processing facility.
The temporary pause comes after Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed an emergency injunction request seeking to stop work at the facility while the state’s lawsuit against the federal government proceeds.
The project involves a large warehouse at 10900 Hopewell Road, also referenced as 16220 Wright Road, outside Williamsport in Washington County, which federal officials plan to convert into what has been described as a Baltimore-area ICE processing facility.
The court’s order temporarily blocks construction activity while the judge reviews the state’s legal challenge.
State alleges federal government bypassed environmental review
In the lawsuit and accompanying emergency motion filed March 10, Brown argues that the Department of Homeland Security moved forward with plans to convert the warehouse into an immigration detention facility without complying with required environmental review processes.
The filing contends that federal officials failed to properly evaluate environmental impacts or provide adequate opportunities for public input before moving ahead with the project.
Brown’s office asked the court to issue an emergency order stopping construction until those legal questions could be resolved.
The judge’s decision to grant a two-week injunction temporarily freezes activity at the site while the court considers the case.
Facility linked to national detention expansion
The Washington County project has attracted growing attention because it appears to align with broader federal plans to expand immigration detention infrastructure.
Planning documents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement describe a Detention Reengineering Initiative aimed at expanding detention capacity and restructuring the federal government’s detention network.
The initiative includes acquiring and renovating facilities across the country and increasing detention capacity significantly over the coming years.
Under the plan, large detention sites could house thousands of detainees while smaller processing facilities would hold individuals for shorter periods before transfer or removal.
Local organizing raises awareness
The project has also sparked local opposition and organizing in Washington County.
A grassroots coalition known as Hagerstown Rapid Response formed earlier this year after residents learned about the federal government’s plans to convert the warehouse into a detention facility.
The group has organized protests outside Washington County Commissioners meetings, conducted research into the project, and worked with journalists to bring attention to the facility and its potential impacts.
Organizers say they are concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding the project and the broader implications of expanding detention infrastructure in the region.
Hagerstown Rapid Response has also launched an online petition urging federal officials to cancel the project.
The petition, titled “Stop the ICE Detention Center in Washington County,” calls on DHS to halt the conversion of the warehouse and abandon plans to open the detention facility.
Federal authority complicates local response
Washington County officials have acknowledged that DHS notified them earlier this year about plans for the facility.
County leaders have also said that federal authority over immigration enforcement and federal property could limit the county’s ability to block the project through local zoning laws.
As a result, the dispute has largely shifted to federal court and state-level legal challenges.
What happens next
The judge’s two-week injunction temporarily halts work at the site while the court considers the legal issues raised in the lawsuit.
The case could determine whether DHS must complete additional environmental review or other procedural steps before continuing with the project.
For now, the Washington County warehouse remains at the center of a legal battle that reflects broader national debates over immigration enforcement, detention policy and federal authority over local land use.
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