I'm writing to demand that you delay, investigate, stall, do everything in your power to stop this detention center from being used. As a Maryland constituent, I do not want this in my state. I do not want my tax dollars going to support this. This makes me consider moving out of state and many will follow. Stop this now!
In January 2026, DHS spent $102.4 million to purchase an empty warehouse outside Hagerstown in Washington County, Maryland to convert into a processing center to hold 1,500 people as part of a nationwide expansion of mass detention and deportation. They conducted no prior environmental review and made no efforts at community engagement, stating that converting a warehouse for commodities into a detention camp in which to imprison people was an "in-kind" change, and that they planned to operate these detention camps “like (Amazon) Prime, but with human beings."
The Washington County Board of Commissioners embraced the deal–despite not consulting with the local community nor reviewing the burden it will impose on human rights, on local resources such as water and medical services, on historical preservation, and on the local economy. In response, the state of Maryland filed a lawsuit to stop the warehouse, Maryland legislators moved to pass emergency bills constraining its operation, locals filed Section 106 objections, and mounting protests sparked nationwide attention.
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