Maryland Sues Trump Over ICE Detention Build—'Irreparable Harm' Claimed

The state of Maryland filed a lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration, seeking to curb the construction of an immigration detention centre within its borders.

According to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violated federal law by acquiring a warehouse in the area without conducting an environmental review or seeking community feedback, per ABC News.

Mega Centres: $102M DHS Warehouse Bought Amid Secrecy

In a statement, Brown said that the Trump administration will go to any lengths to push its aggressive immigration agenda, even if it involves breaking the law.

He said, 'DHS purchased this facility while keeping the State and the public in the dark, spending more than $100 million in federal taxpayer dollars without performing the required environmental review and without giving Maryland or Marylanders any voice in the process.'

According to the lawsuit, DHS acquired a commercial warehouse near Williamsport, Maryland for a little over $102 million (£75.6 million) on the 16th of January 2026. It also states that the warehouse acquisition is part of the administration's 'mass immigration detention scheme,' which seeks to use warehouses across the United States as detention centres in its immigration crackdown.

'Defendants are purchasing warehouses across the country and seeking to retrofit them into immigration detention and processing centers that can hold tens of thousands of immigrants,' it states

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could use up to two dozen 'mega centres' or detention sites across the United States to detain immigrants, per Bloomberg.

The lawsuit states that the Williamsport facility is expected to hold 1,500 beds. Brown said, 'Defendants have run roughshod over federal law and trampled on the state's interests.'

Warehouses a Front for Well-Structured Detention Facilities?

A DHS spokesperson told ABC News in a statement, 'Let's be honest about this. This isn't about the environment. It's about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe again.'​

The statement continued with, 'These will not be warehouses -- they will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards. It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space.'

The spokesperson's statement also said that US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has expressed her willingness to work with authorities on 'both sides of the aisle' if it helps ICE law enforcement implement 'the largest deportation effort in American history.'

Brown has alleged that the government violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by failing to prepare an environmental impact statement for the project or exploring alternative options. He warned that construction could harm local waterways and wildlife, and that once operational, the facility might overload the sewer system.

Further to the negative impacts of the facility, its presence could also cause traffic jams and strain law enforcement and first responders. Brown also reiterated the potential for disease outbreaks and sanitation problems, drawing on reports from similar ICE centres.

The lawsuit states, 'Despite the major nature of this undertaking, Defendants have provided little information to the State concerning its plans for the property, depriving the State of the information needed to fully assess the harm Defendants' actions will have on Plaintiff's sovereign interests.'

Maryland is urging a federal judge to cancel the warehouse purchase and to rule the agencies' action as unlawful. Brown is also requesting a court order to curb any ongoing construction or conversion of the facility.