Plans for a major immigration detention centre in Washington County, Maryland, have been paused following fierce local opposition and a court battle. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) purchased an 825,000-square-foot warehouse in the county as part of a nationwide scheme to convert industrial buildings into detention facilities for tens of thousands of immigrants.
Protesters have regularly gathered outside county commission meetings, with chants of “Stop ICE!” and blaring horns. Patrick Dattilio, founder of the anti-ICE group Hagerstown Rapid Response, said: “This is a facility built for packages, not people.” The federal government spent a total of $1.074 billion on 11 warehouses under the plan, which is now under review by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Washington County commissioners had declared “unwavering support” for ICE, but the proclamation was met with boos and jeers, leading to the clearing of the public gallery. The county also forwarded the proclamation to then-Secretary Kristi Noem, highlighting hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades it said were needed. ICE subsequently signed a $113 million contract to renovate the building for 500 to 1,500 detainees, but a judge temporarily halted work after Maryland’s attorney general sued. A hearing is set for April 15.
Many residents expressed outrage at being kept in the dark about the purchase. “We have had no voice in this,” said Carroll Sager, who held a sign reading “Disenfranchised in Washington County.” Similar opposition has emerged in other states, including New Jersey, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, where local authorities have filed lawsuits or threatened to withhold utilities.
Questions have also been raised about the prices DHS paid for some warehouses, with reports of paying double or nearly five times the assessed tax value in some cases. Secretary Mullin faced scrutiny during his confirmation hearing over whether he would continue the policy of converting warehouses into detention centres, but has not yet committed to a course of action.
