Stop me if you've heard this before.
U.S. District Judge (again) Brendan Hurson has temporarily halted (rinse, repeat) construction of a federal ICE detention center in Washington County, Maryland. The order pauses work at the Williamsport Warehouse site for up to 14 days while the court reviews the lawsuit.
"The State has shown that Defendants likely failed to comply with their obligations under (the National Environmental Policy Act)," the judge wrote.
"Defendants do not appear to have taken a 'hard look' at the potential environmental consequences of their plans for the Williamsport Warehouse," the judge added.
Federal officials had already spent over $100 million buying and converting the 54-acre property. When completed, the facility would hold about 1,500 detainees. The project forms part of President Donald Trump's effort to expand detention space as immigration enforcement increases.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed the lawsuit that triggered the ruling, arguing the Department of Homeland Security and ICE rushed the project, skipping required steps under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Brown cast the ruling as a win.
"Though temporary, this ruling stops the construction of this massive immigration detention center while our lawsuit continues to play out in court. We will not let DHS and ICE rush through the proper legal process in their haste to ramp up deportations," Brown said.
Judge Brendan Hurson agreed that the state raised serious legal questions about whether federal agencies fully reviewed the environmental impacts before construction began. The order states Maryland could suffer lasting harm if work continues while the lawsuit proceeds.
The fight in court isn't about immigration policy itself; it's about procedure. Federal agencies must review environmental impacts, consider alternatives, and allow public input before moving ahead with major projects. Maryland officials claim those steps were skipped when the federal government awarded a construction contract on March 6 and began moving quickly toward development.
From the Trump administration's perspective, the detention center serves a practical purpose. Immigration enforcement requires space to detain people awaiting hearings or deportation. Without enough beds, enforcement becomes harder to carry out.
Federal officials argue immigration law clearly gives the government authority to build and operate detention facilities needed to enforce those laws. The Williamsport center was expected to open within weeks before the court stepped in and stopped construction.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has federal oversight of immigration and of which the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is part, has previously said it 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.
The lawsuit also shows how legal strategy around immigration fights has shifted. Instead of directly attacking the policy, opponents increasingly target the process behind federal decisions. Environmental rules and administrative procedures now serve as tools to slow federal projects, even when the government has the authority to carry them out.
Brown praised the ruling and said the order protects communities and waterways while the case moves forward. The 14-day pause gives the court time to decide whether construction can resume or whether the project must restart with a full environmental review.
Judge Hurson's order doesn't end the dispute over the Williamsport facility; it simply freezes construction while the legal arguments continue. Federal lawyers argue that the project complied with the law, while Maryland officials will push for a longer delay. The decision ahead determines whether the Trump administration can quickly move forward with the detention center or whether it will face more delays in expanding immigration enforcement infrastructure.
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