HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Maryland's Attorney General, Anthony Brown, has formally requested that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) delay its proposal to transform a vacant warehouse in Hagerstown into an immigration detention center.
In a letter directed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Brown expressed significant environmental concerns regarding the project. He highlighted that multiple state agencies, including the Departments of the Environment, Natural Resources, Transportation, and Health, share these concerns.
Brown emphasized the need for a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement instead of a more limited Environmental Assessment. He also suggested that ICE consider the possibility of selling the property rather than proceeding with the conversion.
“I am also concerned that ICE has failed to provide sufficient information to allow the public to meaningfully comment on its proposed activities,” Brown stated in his letter. He noted that the Scoping Notice issued by ICE might lead to a biased environmental review due to prior commitments made by the agency.
This situation is part of an ongoing legal struggle between the state of Maryland and ICE concerning plans for detention facilities in both Howard and Washington counties. In February, Brown filed a federal lawsuit aimed at halting the construction of the Washington County facility.
ICE had secured a contract to start construction on March 6 after acquiring the warehouse located at Wright and Hopewell roads in Williamsport. At that time, Brown raised concerns about the lack of an environmental review regarding the potential effects on the nearby Potomac River.
Shortly after funding was allocated for the project, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction against ICE, preventing any construction. This order was extended to provide Maryland additional time to present its case against the facility.
Subsequently, DHS requested a judge's approval for limited construction, asserting that the warehouse would not be converted into a detention center immediately. Court documents from ICE indicated that no retrofitting for detention purposes would be pursued in the near term.
Despite these developments, a federal judge granted Maryland's motion for a preliminary injunction, maintaining the construction ban on the facility. In his recent correspondence with DHS, Brown reiterated that ICE has not made sufficient information available to the public, hindering the state's ability to evaluate critical elements of the proposal.
Reported by HarborBeat based on WMAR-2 News (source).
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