Judge orders pause on ICE detention center construction in Maryland
Source: Reuters
March 11, 2026 10:59 PM EDT Updated 3 hours ago
WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Maryland issued a temporary restraining order on Wednesday to halt construction work on an immigration detention center after the state had sued citing environmental concerns.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown had argued that President Donald Trump's administration had not conducted a proper environmental review or received public input. The federal government spent more than $100 million on a 54-acre warehouse in Maryland's Washington County to convert it into a detention center capable of holding 1,500 people at a time, Brown said in February when the state sued.
U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson granted Maryland's request for a restraining order to immediately pause construction for up to 14 days while the court considered Maryland's broader legal challenge.
"The State has shown that Defendants likely failed to comply with their obligations under (the National Environmental Policy Act)," the judge wrote. "Defendants do not appear to have taken a 'hard look' at the potential environmental consequences of their plans for the Williamsport Warehouse," the judge added.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/judge-orders-pause-ice-detention-center-construction-maryland-2026-03-12/
Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://projectsaltbox.substack.com/api/v1/file/27439dd9-c71f-4108-b4de-bf0c6172aad5.pdf
(from Baltimore's "Project Salt Box" substack - Federal Judge Halts Construction of Maryland ICE Detention Facility
Original case story - Maryland A.G. files emergency motion to pause work on ICE detention facility
MD AG BROWN STATEMENT - Statement from Attorney General Brown on the Court’s Order to Temporarily Halt Construction of Unlawful ICE Detention Facility in Washington County
Original FILING (PDF) - https://oag.maryland.gov/News/Documents/pdfs/Binder12.pdf
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