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Washington County votes to support ICE following purchase of Hagerstown detention facility

Updated  February 10, 2026 12:57pm EST
Immigration
FOX 5 DC

The Brief

    • Washington County commissioners passed a resolution supporting ICE and DHS immigration enforcement following the purchase of a Hagerstown warehouse for a detention facility.
    • DHS reportedly paid more than $100 million for the site, which could house up to 1,500 people.
    • Maryland lawmakers have raised concerns about public safety, civil detention practices, and potential human rights issues.

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Washington County commissioners passed a resolution on Tuesday to support ICE and DHS immigration efforts in the wake of ICE purchasing a Hagerstown warehouse to use as an immigration facility. 

What we know:

"The Board hereby declares its intent to support DHS and ICE in the enforcement of our nation's borders, safeguarding the integrity of our immigration system, and ensuring that all persons are treated with dignity and compassion within our jurisdiction," reads the resolution passed by the Washington County Board of County Commissioners. 

The resolution went into effect immediately. 

DHS has reportedly purchased a warehouse for more than $100 million to use as a 1,500-person immigration facility in Hagerstown. 

The other side:

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Representative April McClain Delaney wrote a letter Tuesday, raising concerns about the warehouse purchase. 

"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. 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," the lawmakers say in the letter. 

The letter, addressed to the Washington County commissioners, lays out a number of questions, including what plan the Board of County Commissioners have to ensure human rights violations are not occurring in the county. 

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