Overview
- U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson issued a temporary restraining order pausing renovations for up to 14 days as the court reviews Maryland’s lawsuit.
- Hurson said the state likely showed noncompliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, noting the government did not appear to take a “hard look” at environmental impacts.
- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown argues the project risks pollution to Semple Run, Conococheague Creek and the Potomac River and could threaten rare and endangered species.
- The Department of Homeland Security criticized the ruling as political, while the government has spent more than $100 million to convert the 830,000-square-foot Williamsport warehouse into a roughly 1,500-bed facility.
- The case spotlights a broader DHS push to repurpose warehouses for immigration detention, with contracts and planned retrofit timelines now subject to court-ordered delays.