HAGERSTOWN – Federal immigration officials are eyeing the Hagerstown area as a potential site for a new detention processing center as part of a broader Trump administration plan to renovate warehouses into massive holding facilities for up to 80,000 immigrants, according to a Washington Post report.

The draft solicitation reviewed by The Post outlines an overhaul of the U.S. immigrant detention system, aiming to create a more efficient “feeder system” for ICE deportations that would place newly arrested individuals at processing sites holding up to 1,500 beds for several weeks before transfer to one of seven proposed large-scale warehouses, each capable of holding up to 10,000 people.

Hagerstown is listed among locations for one of 16 smaller processing sites.  It is not clear whether the site would be within the city limits or elsewhere in Washington County. These sites would populate the large warehouses planned near major logistics hubs in Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Georgia, Missouri and Stafford, Virginia, 100 miles south of Hagerstown.

Hagerstown’s location at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 81, along with access to Hagerstown Regional Airport, could make it appealing for efficient detainee transfers and deportation flights, Radio Free Hub City reported.

Though not yet final, the plan seeks input from private contractors this week, with a formal bid request possibly following soon after, according to the document and an internal email cited by The Post, to which Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said she could not confirm the reporting nor answer questions.

Local officials in Hagerstown and Washington County expressed surprise and said they had no prior knowledge of the proposal.

The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from Maryland’s federal lawmakers. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, condemned the plan as part of the administration’s “cruel mass deportation agenda,” according to at least one report.

 “Contracting for massive private warehouse prisons marks another step in their assault on our communities. We need secure borders and across-the-board reform, [but] upholding our immigration laws can and must be done safely, smartly, and humanely.” 

Sixth District U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney, a Democrat whose district includes Washington County, issued a Dec. 30 statement calling the reports “outrageous” and vowing to fight any such facility.

“If true, this proposal is unacceptable, and I will fight it with every tool available to me,” Delaney said. “Hagerstown is not a dumping ground for a broken federal system. It is a proud community built on fairness, decency, and the rule of law.”

Any facility in Maryland could face legal hurdles under the state’s 2021 Dignity Not Detention Act, which bars local governments from contracting with private entities for immigration detention. However, federal authorities might argue for preemption.

In a Dec. 30 statement posted on the city’s Facebook page, Hagerstown officials said they were aware of The Post’s article. Still, they added that the city has “no awareness of any such plans, and the government has contacted no city staff or city officials as to any plans of utilizing space within Hagerstown for such a purpose.”

Likewise, a Washington County spokeswoman, according to media reports, said the county does not comment on federal Department of Homeland Security initiatives and is unaware of any current actions to convert local warehouses for immigration detention.

The proposal comes amid the Trump administration’s push to expand detention capacity, already the world’s largest, with more than $45 billion allocated by Congress for immigrant lockups.

Published reports indicate the administration has revived dormant prisons, used military bases and built tent encampments in partnership with Republican-led states. Border czar Tom Homan recently stated that over 579,000 people have been deported this year.

ICE’s draft document describes the new facilities as a way to “maximize efficiency, minimize costs, shorten processing times, limit lengths of stay, accelerate the removal process and promote the safety, dignity and respect for all in ICE custody.”

However, critics argue the warehouse approach raises serious concerns. Commercial real estate experts note that such buildings, designed for storage, often lack adequate ventilation, temperature control, plumbing and sanitation for large-scale human habitation.

“It’s dehumanizing,” said Tania Wolf of the National Immigration Project based in New Orleans, near a planned site in Louisiana. “You’re treating people, for lack of a better term, like cattle.”

Delaney’s statement added: “The mass detention of human beings without due process is a profound moral and constitutional failure. Detaining people—like asylum seekers and families—far from legal counsel, their support systems, and meaningful oversight creates a grave risk of unlawful detention and irreversible harm.

“Let me be clear about what I am doing, and what I will continue to do, to stop this:

• I am demanding full and immediate transparency from DHS and ICE, including all planning documents, contracts, internal analyses, and communications related to any proposed detention facility in Washington County. There will be no secrecy and no backroom decisions.
• I am scheduled to meet with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations field office in Baltimore in January, where I will conduct my constitutionally required oversight of this facility which has my constituents locked inside.
• I will work with colleagues to use aggressive congressional oversight—including formal investigations—to expose any effort to rush this project forward while cutting corners on legality, due process, or human rights.
• I will oppose any attempt to detain people without full constitutional protections, and I will challenge policies that normalize prolonged or unlawful detention under the guise of efficiency.
• I will stand with community members, faith leaders, advocates, and local governments who are speaking out against this proposal, and I will elevate their voices at every level of the federal government.

“This is about values and who we are, and that begins with protecting our neighbors. A government that detains people in bulk, behind walls and razor wire, without transparency or accountability, is a government that has lost its moral compass.

“I will not allow Hagerstown to become a symbol of that failure. I will fight this proposal publicly, relentlessly, and unapologetically—and I will keep the people of this community informed every step of the way.”

The solicitation specifies modifications to include intake areas, housing units with showers and restrooms, kitchens, dining spaces, medical units, recreation areas, law libraries and offices. Some facilities would have special family housing.

As the plan advances, it could strain Washington County’s resources, despite proponents’ claims that it streamlines operations. Critics, however, see it as prioritizing speed over humanity in immigration enforcement.