Overview
- U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson granted a temporary restraining order stopping renovation of an 825,000‑square‑foot Williamsport warehouse into an ICE detention center for two weeks.
- The judge cited likely success on the merits and irreparable environmental harm, after Maryland argued DHS bypassed review under federal law.
- DHS bought the site on Jan. 16 for $102.4 million and awarded a $113 million retrofit contract to KVG LLC for a facility designed to hold up to 1,500 people.
- Separately, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a federal lawsuit seeking records on Baltimore holding‑room conditions, alleging ICE and DHS stonewalled a civil‑rights probe.
- A prior ruling by Judge Julie R. Rubin limited the Baltimore holding rooms to 56 people total and required minimum space, daily cleaning, hygiene supplies and prompt medical screening, as congressional visitors reported empty cells and raised Legionella concerns that ICE says are addressed with bottled water.