Maryland sues Trump administration to halt construction of ICE facility

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said on Monday that the state has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to halt construction of a new federal immigration detention center in the state.



The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has federal oversight of immigration, spent more than $100 million on a 54-acre warehouse in Maryland's Washington County to convert into a detention center capable of holding 1,500 people at a time, Brown said.



The Trump administration, according to Maryland's attorney general and government, purchased the property without conducting an environmental review or receiving public input.



However, according to Washington County last month, the federal government did not need to seek local zoning approval for the project. As a result, it said, the county could not legally restrict the Trump administration's ability to proceed with the detention center.



"Our people must be heard when the federal government makes decisions that affect their health, their safety, and their communities," said Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat.



He added: "The State of Maryland is filing this lawsuit because DHS must be held to the same legal standard as every other federal agency."