HAGERSTOWN, Pa. – Washington County Commissioners will walk into their meeting Tuesday, April 14, through a stark visual memorial: chalk body outlines for every person who has died in ICE custody since Trump took office in 2025.
The protest, organized by Washington County Indivisible and Hagerstown Rapid Response, comes as commissioners prepare to revisit a controversial vote on purchasing $118,639 in riot gear for local law enforcement, a vote that was previously delayed after sustained public protests and significant media coverage.
County officials have contended the purchase is not for new or added riot gear but to replace older gear the county already had.
The action is intended to force county leadership to confront the human cost of the proposed ICE detention warehouse planned for the Williamsport/Hagerstown area, according to Indivisible and Rapid Response leaders.
The protest will include:
- Chalk body outlines covering the sidewalk outside the county Administration Building
- Protesters and community members on site beginning at 8:30 a.m.
- Commissioners arriving for the 9 a.m. meeting
