Judge orders pause on ICE detention center construction in Maryland

A federal judge in Maryland issued a temporary restraining order on Wednesday to halt construction work on an immigration detention center after the state had sued citing environmental concerns.



Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown had argued that President Donald Trump's administration had not conducted a proper environmental review or received public input.



The federal government spent more than $100 million on a 54-acre warehouse in Maryland's Washington County to convert it into a detention center capable of holding 1,500 people at a time, Brown said in February when the state sued.



U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson granted Maryland's request for a restraining order to immediately pause construction for up to 14 days while the court considered Maryland's broader legal challenge.



The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has federal oversight of immigration and of which the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is a part, has previously said DHS was willing to work with state officials to expand detention capabilities. It has also previously rejected Maryland's assertion that the lawsuit was based on environmental concerns.