$113 million contract awarded to renovate proposed Maryland ICE detention facility
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is giving a $113 million contract to renovate a proposed federal immigration detention and processing facility near Hagerstown, Maryland.
Federal spending records show that KVG LLC, a firm from Gettysburg, Pa., was the recipient of the contract, with a projected end date for construction by early May.
The contract contains potential future options to grow to as much as $642 million over three years, according to our media partner The Baltimore Banner, who first reported the contract.
The deal brings total federal spending on the 825,000-square-foot Williamsport warehouse to at least $215 million, the Banner reports.
Maryland A.G. sues to block Maryland ICE facility
Last month, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration of Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to pause work on the 825,0000-square-foot building in Washington County.
The lawsuit says that the federal government had not conducted an environmental review of the project or held a meeting for public comment.
The 28-page lawsuit alleges that DHS and ICE are disregarding federal law, while moving quickly to implement the Trump administration's nationwide detention center agenda.
"We're asking the court to halt construction and operation of this facility," Brown said. "We're asking the court to require a proper environmental review with full public input, and we're asking the court to declare that what the administration did here was unlawful."
According to the lawsuit, ICE purchased the 54-acre facility near Hagerstown on Jan. 16 for $102.4 million. The property was built to serve as a commercial facility and has warehouse space, offices, four toilets and two water fountains.
"According to DHS, the federal government intends to convert this industrial warehouse into a detention center capable of housing 1,500 people at a time," the lawsuit reads. "Williamsport itself is home to just over 2,000 residents – meaning this facility alone would nearly match the town's entire population."
The lawsuit also saw issues with the detention center's impact on the air quality, traffic, public health and safety, along with inhumane holding conditions and access to medical care.
However, DHS, in a statement to CBS Baltimore, says the "very well-structured detention facilities" will meet the regular detention standards, and the sites will undergo community impact studies and a due diligence process to make sure there is no negative impacts on local utilities or infrastructure.
DHS said the facility and its construction could open up to 1,125 jobs and would bring in about $28.8 million in tax revenue.
"These economic benefits don't even take into account that removing criminals from the streets makes communities safer for business owners and customers," an ICE spokesperson stated. "ICE is targeting criminal illegal aliens, including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and more. 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities."
County ICE support prompts protests
Last month, the Washington County Council approved a resolution that supports the county's immigration efforts.
"The Board hereby declares its intent to support DHS and ICE in the enforcement of our nation's borders, safeguarding the integrity of our immigration system, and ensuring that all persons are treated with dignity and compassion within our jurisdiction," the county's resolution reads.
However, the county's support has drawn protests from the public.
Hundreds of protesters rallied against the ICE detention facility last month, which disrupted the Washington County Commissioners meeting.
"There's a ton of concern that they're about to start detaining people, an entire town's worth of people," said Patrick Dattilio, an organizer for Hagerstown Rapid Response. "The idea that our tiny little town is now going to be the center, the epicenter of this is, I think, simply too much for most of the people here."
