1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my strong opposition to ICE's planned acquisition and conversion of 16220 Wright Road in Williamsport into a 1,500-bed detention facility. I urge you to take immediate action to block this project and to introduce legislation prohibiting ICE detention facilities in Maryland. ICE has failed to provide basic project documentation that would allow residents and officials to assess this facility's impact. Despite plans to convert an industrial warehouse into a detention center processing thousands of people per week, DHS and ICE have released no site plans, engineering specifications, water consumption estimates, sewage capacity assessments, traffic projections, or staffing level information. Without these fundamental details, we cannot evaluate the strain on local water systems, roads, or emergency services. Williamsport has approximately 2,000 residents. A 1,500-bed facility represents a massive and disproportionate burden on this small rural community. ICE's characterization of this conversion as an "in-kind" change is misleading. Transforming a package warehouse into a high-occupancy detention center fundamentally alters land use, infrastructure demand, and community impact in ways that require comprehensive review and transparency. The public comment period closes Thursday, March 5, 2026, making immediate legislative action critical. This rushed timeline, combined with ICE's refusal to provide concrete operational projections or infrastructure assessments, demonstrates a troubling disregard for community input and public safety considerations. I am asking you to oppose this specific facility and to support broader legislation that would prohibit ICE detention facilities from operating in Maryland. Our communities deserve protection from facilities that impose extraordinary infrastructure burdens without transparency or accountability. Maryland should not be complicit in a detention system that operates without basic standards of community engagement and environmental review. I request your commitment to blocking the Williamsport facility and introducing legislation to prevent similar projects statewide.