(The Center Square) – Maryland is suing the federal government over a planned immigration detention facility in Washington County, saying the project advanced without the environmental review required under federal law.
The complaint challenges the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the government’s purchase of a large warehouse property outside Williamsport. State officials say the site is intended for conversion into a detention facility designed to hold up to 1,500 people.
According to the lawsuit, Homeland Security – ICE is its principal criminal investigating agency – acquired the property earlier this year for more than $100 million. The warehouse contains more than 800,000 square feet and was originally built for commercial logistics operations.
The state says the purchase and planned redevelopment should have triggered review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. The complaint says federal agencies failed to conduct an environmental assessment or prepare a more detailed environmental impact statement before moving forward.
Attorney General Anthony Brown said the case focuses on what the state describes as a lack of public notice and intergovernmental coordination.
“No public notice, no consultation with the state, no known environmental review,” Brown said in a public statement. “The people of Maryland deserve to know what’s being built in their communities and why.”
The lawsuit also raises infrastructure concerns, noting the facility was designed as a warehouse rather than a residential-scale operation. The complaint describes the building as having only four toilets and two water fountains, which the state says is inadequate for a site expected to house up to 1,500 people without substantial upgrades.
Brown’s filing further says that wastewater, environmental and public service impacts were not evaluated prior to the project’s approval.
Homeland Security, in response to The Center Square, said the administration is working to expand detention capacity and rejected the suggestion that the government is simply repurposing warehouse space.
“These will not be warehouses,” Homeland Security said. “They will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards.
“Every day, DHS is conducting law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe. It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space.”
Local officials have publicly supported the project.
The Washington County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve a resolution backing Homeland Security, ICE, and local law enforcement cooperation. County officials said the federal government is not bound by local zoning rules and described the facility as potentially beneficial to the local economy.
Maryland is asking a federal court to halt further construction, renovation or operation of the site until the government completes the environmental review process outlined in federal law.
