The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today welcomed a federal judge’s decision to block plans by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to convert a warehouse in western Maryland into a 1,500-bed immigration detention facility.
SEE: Federal judge limits movement on ICE detention center in Maryland
The court’s issuance of a preliminary injunction halts the project from moving forward, marking a significant victory for Maryland communities, immigrants and civil rights advocates, and local residents who have voiced deep concerns about the proposal.
“This ruling affirms that our communities cannot be sidelined when fundamental rights and human dignity are at stake,” said CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “The attempt to transform a warehouse into a mass internment facility has raised legal, moral, and humanitarian concerns, and we’re encouraged that the court recognizes the urgency of these issues.”
The judge reportedly questioned the federal government’s justification for the project, noting ongoing legal challenges surrounding immigration detention practices nationwide. The ruling underscores longstanding concerns raised by advocacy groups about due process violations, conditions of confinement, and the broader impact of expanding detention infrastructure.
CAIR has stood alongside coalition partners, community leaders, and impacted families in opposing the facility, emphasizing that such projects are harmful, unnecessary, and contrary to Maryland’s values.
“No one, not even the federal government, is above the law,” Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. “Today’s preliminary injunction is a major victory that stops federal authorities from irreversibly damaging our waterways, our environment, and our communities before our lawsuit is even decided. And it ensures that the federal government cannot rush through the legal process required to open this facility in its frenzy to carry out its deportation goals.”
SEE: OAG Statement
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com