For weeks, protests have taken shape in various forms across Western Maryland — community rallies in town squares, high school mid-day walkouts, demonstrations outside county meetings, and public appeals from state lawmakers. Yet despite the growing outcry, federal immigration enforcement has moved forward. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has effectively arrived in the region, with plans to establish a large detention facility near Hagerstown, signaling a major shift in the immigration enforcement landscape for Western Maryland and neighboring communities like Frederick.
From Warehouse to ICE Detention Center
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has purchased a large warehouse in Williamsport, just outside Hagerstown, with plans to convert it into an ICE detention and processing center. The facility is expected to hold as many as 1,500 detainees, according to federal planning documents and reporting from regional outlets.
Federal spending records show DHS awarded an $113 million contract to renovate the building into a detention facility that could begin operations as soon as spring 2026.
The facility is part of a broader national strategy in which ICE is purchasing and converting industrial warehouses into large detention centers, a shift intended to expand capacity for immigration enforcement across the country.
Lawmakers and Residents Push Back
The announcement has sparked intense reaction from residents and elected officials. Maryland lawmakers, including members of the state’s congressional delegation, have demanded answers from DHS about how the facility was approved and why local leaders were not notified earlier in the process.
Community members have also taken to the streets. Protests erupted in Washington County after local commissioners passed a resolution supporting ICE and federal enforcement efforts, a move that drew criticism even from residents who otherwise support stricter immigration policy but oppose the facility’s location. At the state level, Maryland officials have begun exploring legal avenues to slow or halt the project, arguing that federal agencies failed to properly conduct environmental or regulatory reviews before moving forward.
ICE Activity Already Being Seen in the Region
Even before the facility officially opens, signs of increased federal immigration enforcement have already been reported. A fleet of DHS and ICE vehicles has been spotted traveling to and from the Washington County site, fueling speculation that operations may begin sooner than expected.
Meanwhile, an ICE-related incident in Frederick last Thursday drew additional attention to the issue. Frederick Police confirmed that federal immigration agents were present in the Hillcrest area, though the department emphasized it does not coordinate with ICE and had limited information about the operation. For many residents, the proximity of the new facility — less than an hour from Frederick — raises concerns that immigration enforcement activity will increase in the city and county.
Local Organizing Continues
While the federal government moves forward with plans for a detention facility, many residents say Hagerstown is not taking the development lying down.
Local advocacy groups and civic organizations including Project Saltbox, Washington County Indivisible, and the Washington County Democratic Central Committee have continued organizing protests, information sessions, and community meetings aimed at pushing back against the facility and increasing transparency around federal immigration enforcement in the region.
The latest effort focuses on the hiring pipeline that supports immigration detention operations. Organizers with Hagerstown Rapid Response and CatLadies4America recently launched a campaign urging job platforms to stop accepting federal funds to recruit workers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.
The campaign specifically calls on companies such as Indeed to stop taking Department of Homeland Security recruitment contracts tied to ICE detention operations, arguing that private hiring platforms should not facilitate staffing for detention centers.
As part of the effort, organizers have launched a public petition calling on job platforms to withdraw from these recruitment partnerships and are encouraging residents across Western Maryland to sign and share it. Residents interested in learning more or supporting the initiative can view the campaign and petition here:
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/6bae3cdcd7059707e583b1eb481c71bfe0f5dbf6
For organizers, the message is clear: even as federal plans move forward, community members intend to continue mobilizing, raising awareness, and exploring every available avenue to challenge the detention center’s operations.
Guidance for Community Members
Civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, encourage residents to stay informed and engaged. Advocates recommend knowing your constitutional rights, documenting enforcement activity in public spaces, supporting immigration legal aid organizations, and engaging with local officials through meetings and public comment.
The proposed ICE facility near Hagerstown has become one of the most contentious federal policy debates in Western Maryland in recent years. With construction contracts already underway and ICE vehicles reportedly arriving in the area, many residents believe the region has reached a turning point. For communities like Frederick, the question now is no longer whether immigration enforcement will expand nearby, but how the region will respond as the consequences of that expansion begin to unfold.
Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times