Washington County residents protest ICE detention center near Hagerstown

Protesters lined the street in Hagerstown, Maryland Tuesday to speak out against a planned 1,500-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in the Williamsport area of Washington County.

“We had no say,” one protester said. “It was just kind of announced, and at that point after purchase it already happened, and there’s a lot of concern and confusion and questions as to who might have known or had their hands in the deal.”

“I don’t want my neighbors to get locked up,” another said. “I think what ICE is doing is horrible. It’s inhumane, and I think it would be a blot on this county, to have that kind of facility here

Protesters rallied outside a Washington County Board of County Commissioners meeting, but the plan to convert a huge warehouse into a detention center was not on the agenda. Protesters say they want to keep the pressure on the county in an effort to stop the facility from moving forward.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bought the property in January for more than $100 million.

“I think we need to be holding our officials accountable,” a protester said. “They work for us. Our county commissioners work for us.”

“We believe it’s not necessary. It is not in the best interest of people in the county, and commissioners to refuse to listen to our demands to at least be heard,” another said.

News4 asked the commissioners for an interview but was told no interviews were being arranged. But a statement released earlier in February says, in part, “The property is not owned by Washington County, and the county does not have a role in the proposed facility. Federal government entities generally are not required to comply with local zoning regulations when federal mandates apply.”

Commissioners did pass a resolution on Feb. 10 supporting DHS, ICE and law enforcement in general.

On Monday, Maryland’s attorney general filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge to block the project, saying it had skirted environmental review and other requirements. DHS said in a statement before the lawsuit was filed that it should not be news that its expanding detention center space as ICE carries out the largest deportation effort in U.S. history

“I think we need to keep it up, but I believe the people will prevail,” a protester said. “We have to keep hope.”