Trending Now - Maryland Immigration Detention Center Faces Protests Amid Pause
WHO:
AP News - Patrick Dattilio, founder of Hagerstown Rapid Response, anti-ICE group.
AP News - Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security.
AP News - Kristi Noem, former Secretary of Homeland Security.
AP News - Carroll Sager, local resident protesting the facility.
AP News - Michelle Gordon, county administrator.
AP News - Nica Sutch, local resident considering moving due to the facility.
WHAT:
AP News - The federal government has spent a total of $1.074 billion for 11 warehouses as part of its plan to convert them into detention facilities.
AP News - The proclamation of support for ICE by county commissioners was met with booing and yelling, leading the commission president to clear the room.
AP News - The county forwarded the proclamation to Kristi Noem the day after its approval, identifying hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of needed upgrades for sewer, airport, and highway infrastructure.
AP News - Protests occurred against a planned immigration detention facility in Washington County, Maryland.
AP News - The federal government purchased an 825,000-square-foot building for $1.074 billion as part of a plan to convert warehouses into detention facilities.
AP News - A contract worth $113 million was signed by ICE to renovate the building for 500 to 1,500 detainees.
AP News - A judge temporarily halted work on the facility after a lawsuit was filed by Maryland’s attorney general.
WHERE:
AP News - The protests took place outside a county commission meeting in Hagerstown, Maryland.
AP News - The purchased building is located in Washington County, Maryland.
WHEN:
AP News - The county commissioners approved a proclamation of support for ICE on February 10th, 2026.
AP News - A hearing regarding the lawsuit is scheduled for April 15th, 2026.
WHY:
AP News - Residents are outraged due to a lack of prior communication about the building's purchase and their feeling of disenfranchisement in the decision-making process.
AP News - Residents are protesting due to moral objections to the facility and a lack of prior communication about the building's purchase.
AP News - The federal government is facing opposition in various communities regarding the conversion of warehouses into detention facilities.
HOW:
AP News - The federal government stated in a recent court filing that “ICE is reconsidering the plans and scope of the warehouse.”
AP News - The Department of Homeland Security is reviewing contracts and plans for the warehouse facilities, pausing new purchases and scrutinizing existing agreements.
(UPDATED April 10, 2026 01:23 UTC)
The federal government has allocated over $1 billion for 11 warehouses, which are set to be converted into detention facilities. This decision has sparked outrage among residents, who feel disenfranchised due to a lack of communication about the purchase and the subsequent plans, leading to a tumultuous meeting where county commissioners faced boos and yelling. In response to the backlash, the federal government recently indicated in a court filing that ICE is reconsidering the plans and scope of the warehouse project.
--
(UPDATED April 9, 2026 17:24 UTC)
Protests erupted outside a county commission meeting in Hagerstown, Maryland, against a planned immigration detention facility after the federal government purchased an 825,000-square-foot building for $1.074 billion. A contract worth $113 million was signed by ICE to renovate the site for up to 1,500 detainees, but a judge has temporarily halted work following a lawsuit filed by Maryland’s attorney general, with a hearing set for April 15th. Residents expressed their moral objections to the facility and criticized the lack of communication regarding the building's purchase, prompting the Department of Homeland Security to review contracts and pause new purchases.