BALTIMORE – Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown filed a federal lawsuit on Monday to halt the Trump administration’s plan to convert a large warehouse near Williamsport into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility.
Filed in the U.S. District Court in Maryland, the suit contends that the Department of Homeland Security and ICE violated the National Environmental Policy Act by purchasing the property and advancing conversion plans without conducting a required environmental review, assessing potential impacts, exploring alternatives or allowing public comment.
The complaint also alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act, saying federal officials failed to justify their actions or explain deviations from prior practices of reviewing similar projects.
ICE bought the 54-acre warehouse at 16220 Wright Road outside Williamsport on Jan. 16 for $102.4 million. The building, constructed between 2021 and 2023, offers more than 825,000 square feet of space but includes limited office areas, only four toilets and two water fountains.
Federal officials plan to adapt it to hold up to 1,500 people, nearly as many as Williamsport’s entire population of just over 2,000.
In a news release, Brown described the purchase as “secretive and unlawful,” saying the administration bypassed state and public involvement while committing more than $100 million in taxpayer funds.
Gov. Wes Moore supported the action in a joint release, stating that no administration stands above the law and that federal decisions affecting community health and safety require public input.
U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney, whose district includes Washington County, issued her own statement endorsing the lawsuit. She said the rushed, secretive process skipped mandatory consultations and reviews for federal construction projects. Citing recent visits to ICE facilities in Baltimore, she described poor conditions and inadequate access to legal resources or family contact, adding that such a warehouse has “no place in western Maryland.”
The property is zoned Industrial General, where correctional institutions are a permitted use under county rules.
On Feb. 10, the Washington County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution expressing full support for DHS, ICE and local law enforcement in border security and immigration enforcement efforts. The vote was 4-0, with one commissioner absent, amid protests from residents.
In a statement released by the Maryland House Republican Caucus, Maryland House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, a Republican from Allegany County, criticized the lawsuit. He accused state Democrats of “virtue signaling” and pushing sanctuary-state policies despite consequences.
Buckel noted complaints about detainee conditions elsewhere, transfers to distant facilities and now opposition to a local site approved by the county, where zoning allows the use, and significant federal money has been spent. He urged the attorney general to prioritize issues like violent crime, gang activity and trafficking instead of challenging federal efforts.
The lawsuit seeks to halt construction, require a full environmental review with public participation and declare the federal actions unlawful. No immediate response from DHS or ICE was available, and the case remains in its early stages with potential for hearings or injunction requests in the coming weeks as the state pushes to prevent any retrofitting or operations at the site.
