Howard County plans to appeal ruling reinstating permits for proposed ICE facility
Howard County plans to appeal after a federal judge reinstated building permits for a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Elkridge, according to media partner The Baltimore Banner.
Earlier this month, the judge ruled that construction could continue on the warehouse on Meadowridge Road, which has been tied up in a legal dispute for months.
In 2022, the federal government contracted Genesis GSA Strategic One to renovate a building in Elkridge and lease it to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for immigration enforcement.
According to court records, the federal government plans to use the facility primarily as office space for DHS employees. About 1,100 square feet of the building would be used for temporary holding cells and a detainee shower.
Howard County initially approved permits for the project but revoked them in February 2026, when construction was nearly complete. County officials said the required public notice and comment period had not been provided.
Genesis sued Howard County in March 2026 after the county revoked the building permits. The company argued that a county ban on privately owned detention facilities specifically targeted its proposed ICE facility in Elkridge.
Genesis also argued that the county lacked authority to revoke the permits because federal law supersedes local regulations. The company said the county's law banning privately owned detention facilities was unconstitutional.
Howard County's attorney maintained that the county was simply following state law.
David Moore, senior assistant county solicitor, said the county is required to comply with a state statute that calls for a six-month notice and public comment period for buildings that will be used for immigration detention.
Attorneys for Genesis said the company had invested about $21 million in the project when the permits were revoked. They also said the company is paying about $5,000 per day in insurance costs while the project remains stalled.
Howard County now plans to appeal the federal judge's ruling.
