How ICE was allowed to secretly buy a warehouse in Maryland

Obscure Contracting Method Enabled Secret ICE Warehouse Purchase in Maryland

A little-known federal contracting mechanism allowed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to quietly acquire a massive warehouse in Western Maryland, bypassing the level of scrutiny typically associated with projects of that scale. According to reporting, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used a rapid procurement vehicle—designed for emergencies such as natural disasters and pandemics—to secure and begin redevelopment of the si…

How ICE was allowed to secretly buy a warehouse in Maryland

Western Marylanders woke up in January to stunning news that a warehouse in their backyard was being converted into an ICE detention center. After a court order, that renovation for the building in Williamsport is now on hold, but many were left wondering how the famously slow-moving federal government could do this in what seemed like a flash. The answer is an obscure contracting vehicle overseen by the Navy and originally created for military …