Maryland congresswoman makes another visit to Baltimore ICE facility

Maryland Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth made another visit to a Baltimore Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility Monday for a tour and discussion about the agency's processes. 

The George H. Fallon Federal building contains five immigration holding rooms that have drawn concerns from other state lawmakers. 

Elfreth shared an update during a news conference after a guided tour and meeting with ICE officials. 

ICE has previously emphasized that the building is a processing facility, not a detention facility, and that migrants are "quickly processed and transferred" to permanent housing at detention facilities. The agency has denied any allegations of "inhumane conditions," saying they are "committed to enforcing immigration laws fairly, safely and humanely."

WJZ has reached out to ICE for comment on this latest visit. 

Baltimore ICE visits 

During her visit on Monday, Elfreth said she walked through the process of when someone is detained, asked ICE leaders about hygiene resources given to detainees, and pushed for answers about access to attorneys. 

Eight or nine detainees were in custody during her visit.

According to Elfreth, ICE officials said detainees are given a package with a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, wipes and menstrual products. 

Officials told the congresswoman that all detainees have access to attorneys and clergy, and their family and legal teams are alerted when they are transferred to another facility. 

"They told us they do all these things, and we're gonna hold them accountable," the congresswoman said. 

Elfreth said she also asked for data on how many criminal offenders have been arrested, compared to individuals without a criminal background. 

"Marylanders are sick and tired of seeing their neighbors be picked up with no criminal records," she said. 

According to Elfreth, there were eight or nine detainees present in the facility during her visit. 

Elfreth's visit comes nearly two weeks after several congressional members arrived to find the facility empty during an oversight visit. 

That visit came days after a federal judge ordered a change in the facility's maximum capacity, among other standards ICE will have to abide by.

The order dictated that ICE needs to ensure each detainee has about 31 square feet of personal space, which equals a maximum of 55 people in the five holding rooms. The holding rooms also need to be cleaned at least once a day, and detainees need to have a medical screening within 12 hours of entry.

The orders stem from a class action lawsuit against ICE filed last year on behalf of two women who contend their time in the holding rooms violated their constitutional rights and were subject to inhumane conditions. 

Baltimore ICE facility concerns 

In March, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a lawsuit against ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in an effort to obtain records about the conditions in the facility. 

The lawsuit came after congressional members made multiple visits to the facility over the past year. During the previous visits, lawmakers raised concerns about crowded holding rooms, conditions for detainees and a lack of access to legal resources. 

Last month, a group of lawmakers also raised concerns about an alleged outbreak of Legionella bacteria in the building. In a letter to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the lawmakers said the bacteria was discovered in November 2025. They urged the GSA to take immediate action and asked what was being done to mitigate harm to detainees and employees. 

ICE officials said detainees were given bottled water, and the building implemented an ASHRAE (American Society of Heating Refrigerant and Air Conditioning Engineers) Drinking Water Management Plan to flush the system. 

"This plan includes documented flushing, temperature and residual disinfectant checks, and periodic retesting for Legionella. GSA is communicating regularly with our tenant agencies and ensuring that our facilities are safe for employees and the public," ICE said in a statement.