The state of Maryland filed a lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration, seeking to curb the construction of an immigration detention centre within its borders.

According to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violated federal law by acquiring a warehouse in the area without conducting an environmental review or seeking community feedback, perABC News.

In a statement, Brown said that the Trump administration will go to any lengths to push its aggressive immigration agenda, even if it involves breaking the law.

He said, 'DHS purchased this facility while keeping the State and the public in the dark, spending more than $100 million in federal taxpayer dollars without performing the required environmental review and without giving Maryland or Marylanders any voice in the process.'

According to the lawsuit, DHS acquired a commercial warehouse near Williamsport, Maryland for a little over $102 million (£75.6 million) on the 16th of January 2026. It also states that the warehouse acquisition is part of the administration's 'mass immigration detention scheme,' which seeks to usewarehouses across the United States as detention centresin its immigration crackdown.

'Defendants are purchasing warehouses across the country and seeking to retrofit them into immigration detention and processing centers that can hold tens of thousands of immigrants,' it states

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could use up to two dozen 'mega centres' or detention sites across the United States to detain immigrants, perBloomberg.

The lawsuit states that the Williamsport facility is expected to hold 1,500 beds. Brown said, 'Defendants have run roughshod over federal law and trampled on the state's interests.'

A DHS spokesperson told ABC News in a statement, 'Let's be honest about this. This isn't about the environment. It's about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe again.'​

Maryland is suing to stop the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from converting a Washington County warehouse into an immigration enforcement detention center.MORE:https://t.co/mIst2NCllxpic.twitter.com/ycTmlWUTqa

Source: International Business Times UK