Proposed ICE Detention Center In Howard Co. Has Building Permit Revoked

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A building permit for a privately owned detention facility in Elkridge to be used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants has been revoked by the Howard County director of the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits.

State law requires private immigration detention centers to meet certain notice and public hearing requirements.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said he opposed the proposed detention center that was planned for an existing office park in Elkridge in close proximity to health care providers, schools, parks and neighborhoods.

"The retrofitting private office buildings for detention use without transparency, without public input, without clear oversight is deeply troubling," Ball said at a news conference Monday afternoon, WBAL-TV reported.

The revocation of the building permit follows Ball’s submission of emergency legislation, Council Bill 16-2026, with the Howard County Council to prohibit the permitting of privately owned buildings operating as detention centers in the county.

The County Council considered the introduction of the emergency legislation during its legislative session Monday night and the public may comment during the council's public hearing Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City. Written testimony can be submitted via email to councilmail@howardcountymd.gov.

Last week after ICE and Department of Homeland Security agents detained 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father in a Texas facility, there were national protests. Images of the boy in a bunny hat and Spiderman backpack, surrounded by ICE officers, sparked criticism about the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. A federal judge ordered both freed, and they were flown home to Minneapolis over the weekend, according to reports by NBC News and The Associated Press.

Ball said he's working with Gov. Wes Moore's office and the Howard County state delegation on similar emergency legislation at the state level to block ICE facilities through third parties.

The proposed facility would have been located within a one-mile radius of these places:

• Deep Run Elementary School
• Mayfield Woods Middle School
• Waterloo Park
• Troy Park
• Timbers at Troy Golf Course
• Gateway Overlook Shopping Center
• Ascension Saint Agnes Primary Care Elkridge
• Tarbiyah Academy
• Howard County Government Bureau of Highways' Mayfield Shop

"Our strength comes from people of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences choosing to call this place home. And, I believe, deeply and unequivocally, that the civil rights of all our residents must be protected. We will continue to stand firm against any criminalization of our residents based on immigration status, race, ethnicity or any other protected characteristic under our laws," Ball said at a news conference.

Recent reporting and leasing advertisements indicate the 28,614 square feet of office space in Elkridge is intended for occupancy by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Pursuant to Maryland law2, Howard County has reason to believe that the facility under renovation at 6522 Meadowridge Road appears to meet the definition of an “immigration detention facility” as defined by state code.

A permitting company known as McKeever Services, located in Fairfax, Virginia, applied for and received a permit to renovate 28,614 square feet within an existing building owned by Genesis GSA Strategic One, LLC.

The building permit was issued Aug. 5, 2025, with the following description of work: “General services administration/scope of work includes improvement of tenant spaces support areas, detention facility, detainee processing and secured waiting area.”

In 2020, the Howard County Council passed the Liberty Act, which prohibits the use of county resources for immigration enforcement unless it is required by federal or state law, an international treaty, or an existing intergovernmental service agreement.

"Across our country, across Maryland, here in Howard County, we have seen enforcement actions taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE. These actions are understandably raising questions about safety, responsibility and the role of the local government,"

Ball said during the news conference. "To be clear, the Howard County government, including the Howard County Police and sheriff's office do not enforce federal immigration law and will not assist with immigrant enforcement activities. That position is ground in laws and the grounded in the values of our county."

County inspections indicate much of the work covered by the permit is nearing completion. The most recent inspection was on Dec. 29, 2025, and passed with conditions for additional inspections that would be required before any use and occupancy certificate could be issued.

The county also issued county-wide guidance to all Howard County Government employees with guidelines on how to respond if ICE officials enter county property. Among the guidelines include contacting a supervisor if ICE visits county property, asking to read the judicial warrant or request a copy, and documenting the name and badge number of the ICE agents. The guidelines emphasize employees are to never obstruct or interfere with ICE.