Maryland Congressional Delegation Members Push Back on ICE Facility in Washington County

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Representatives April McClain Delaney pushed back on the Trump Administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) plans to convert a warehouse located in Washington County into a 1,500-person immigration detention facility. In a letter submitted for DHS’s comment period on the project, the lawmakers outlined serious concerns about ICE’s severe lack of transparency on the purchase and preparations for the facility, as well as its expected impacts on local infrastructure and the surrounding communities. Additionally, given ICE’s track record of subjecting people to inhumane conditions and rampant violations of human rights, they cast doubt on the agency’s ability to humanely operate this facility – especially since it was not built for this purpose.

“As members of Maryland’s Congressional Delegation, we write in strong opposition to the effort by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to convert a large, industrial warehouse at 10900 Hopewell Road, Williamsport, Maryland into an immigration detention facility. We are deeply concerned about the negative impact this facility may have on Washington County and the State of Maryland. Your lack of any substantive response to our multiple inquiries surrounding the facility is unacceptable and flouts Congressional oversight authority, and the lack of regard for community input around this proposal is a disservice to the people you purport to serve,” the lawmakers began.