A federal judge in Maryland has ordered an immediate, temporary halt to construction work on a large warehouse that the federal government has been converting into an immigration detention center, after the state filed suit citing alleged environmental-review failures.
The litigation, brought by Maryland officials, contends that federal authorities did not carry out the necessary environmental review or provide adequate opportunities for public comment before proceeding with the project. The federal government, Maryland says, has already invested more than $100 million to retrofit a 54-acre warehouse in Washington County into a detention complex designed to hold as many as 1,500 people at once, according to filings referenced by state officials when the lawsuit was launched.
U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson granted the state's request for a temporary restraining order that pauses construction activity for a period of up to 14 days while the court reviews Maryland's broader legal challenge. In his written holding, the judge said the state had demonstrated that the defendants - federal entities responsible for the project - had likely failed to meet their obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act.
"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 Department of Homeland Security - which oversees immigration policy and includes the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency - has previously indicated it is open to coordinating with state officials on expanding detention capacity. At the same time, DHS has disputed Maryland's contention that the state's suit rests solely on environmental grounds.
The legal challenge and the judge's temporary order arrive amid broader criticism of federal immigration enforcement actions. The administration responsible for the conversion project has faced condemnation from rights advocates who say its policies have raised concerns about free speech and due process. Those critics also argue the enforcement posture has heightened safety concerns for minority communities. The administration has defended its approach as necessary to curb illegal immigration and bolster domestic security.
Maryland's attorney general characterized the ruling as a positive development for the state's case. "Though temporary, this ruling stops the construction of this massive immigration detention center while our lawsuit continues to play out in court. We will not let DHS and ICE rush through the proper legal process in their haste to ramp up deportations," the attorney general said after the order was issued.
The court-imposed pause leaves several near-term questions unresolved, including whether the federal government will undertake additional environmental study or public consultations and how quickly work might resume if the restraining order is lifted. For now, construction has been ordered to stop while the litigation moves forward.