This browser does not support the Video element.
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Pushback is growing in Washington County over a planned federal immigration detention center, as local advocates and Maryland lawmakers press for answers.
What we know:
Hagerstown Rapid Response, a community organization, planned to protest against the development after learning the Department of Homeland Security purchased a warehouse property for more than $100 million to convert into a 1,500‑person U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
County commissioners passed a resolution last month supporting ICE and DHS efforts following the purchase.
The group said this week that government vehicles have begun arriving at the site on the 10900 block of Hopewell Road. Members planned to protest Tuesday morning at the Washington County Commissioners meeting in Hagerstown.
"This is not abstract anymore. Government vehicles have arrived. The warehouse is active. And the people of Washington County deserve transparency, accountability, and a voice in decisions that will define our community for generations," the group wrote online.
RELATED: Washington County votes to support ICE following purchase of Hagerstown detention facility
This browser does not support the Video element.
Maryland sheriffs oppose proposed ICE restrictions
Maryland lawmakers have introduced a pair of bills that would place restrictions on immigration enforcement operations in the state. Local sheriffs are pushing back against the bills, saying they don't have the man power to follow through on the bills' requirements.
What they're saying:
The project is also drawing scrutiny from Maryland lawmakers. U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, along with Rep. April McClain Delaney, sent a letter last month raising concerns about the warehouse’s conversion into a large-scale detention center.
"The proposed conversion of a warehouse into a detention facility capable of holding up to 1,500 people raises serious risks to public health and order," they wrote. "Immigration detention is a civil system, yet it has been increasingly used to detain individuals indiscriminately. ICE’s own data shows that nearly three-quarters of detainees pose no risk to public safety."
Their letter, addressed to the county commissioners, asks a series of questions about oversight, transparency, and what safeguards the county plans to put in place to prevent human rights violations.
The Source: Information in this article comes from U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen's office and previous FOX 5 reporting.