HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Opponents of the proposed federal immigration detention facility near Williamsport returned to downtown Hagerstown on Tuesday, continuing a months-long series of demonstrations outside meetings of the Washington County Commissioners.
The protests have become a regular presence outside the County Administration Building since February, when commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Protesters have raised concerns about the proposed facility’s effect on local infrastructure, emergency services, the environment and the surrounding community.
Tuesday’s demonstrators also highlighted potential effects on property values. A recent analysis by Hagerstown Rapid Response estimated that more than 4,000 homes within three miles of the proposed facility could collectively lose more than $22 million if declines documented around prisons elsewhere in the country were repeated here.
The proposed conversion remains on hold under a federal court injunction while DHS conducts an environmental review. The 825,000-square-foot warehouse could ultimately accommodate as many as 1,500 detainees, although there is no announced date for the conversion to begin and whether it proceeds remains tied to the environmental review and continuing litigation.
