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Stop-work order for ICE facility in Washington County is extended
The pause on construction came shortly after the DHS awarded a $113 million contract for the build-out of the facility.
The newly-purchased ICE detention facility sits among rolling farmland in Williamsport, MD on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Public records reveal that the Department of Homeland Security purchased the 825,000-square-foot facility and its 53.5-acre property for $102.4 million from a private entity.
MTA considers pivoting Red Line to rapid bus service instead of light rail, sources say
Amid a budget crunch, real estate complications and a bleak outlook at federal funding, Maryland officials are weighing contingency plans for Baltimore’s proposed Red Line, sources say.
Passengers enter and exit the southbound light rail car as it arrives at the Lutherville Light Rail station in Lutherville, Md. on Monday, February 3, 2025.
ICE sent Maryland detainees to Arizona a day before congressional oversight visit
For months, the overcrowded, bleak conditions on the sixth floor of the George H. Fallon Federal Building have drawn attention from Maryland lawmakers, a federal judge and the state’s top prosecutor.
The Eloy Detention Center, a private prison owned by CoreCivic, houses detainees waiting the outcome of their deportation proceedings, Eloy, AZ, USA, 2019.
What we know about the build-out of ICE’s Maryland detention center
A review of public contracting records by The Banner reveals details about the private companies that are helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement turn a massive Washington County warehouse into a detention center.
Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 — This new warehouse off Hopewell Road outside Hagerstown has beed toured by government officials for possible use as an ICE detention facility.
ICE awards $113 million to build out Hagerstown detention center
The contract brings total Department of Homeland Security spending to at least $215 million on the proposed detention and processing site that has sparked massive controversy in Western Maryland.
Demonstrators pack the seats of a Washington County Commissioners meeting, in protest against a newly-purchased ICE facility in Williamsport, at the Washington County Administration Building, in Hagerstown, MD on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.
She brings music, language and last goodbyes for grieving Spanish-speaking families
A Glen Burnie funeral director bridges language and culture, guiding Spanish-speaking families through grief, death and repatriation in Maryland and Virginia.
Keely Aranibar, center, and her business partner Dan Simon, left, assist the priest in blessing the casket by draping a funeral pall during the funeral of Kevin Mendoza Martinez at Saint Francis de Sales Catholic church in Salisbury.
Judge rules ICE must limit number of detainees held in Baltimore facility
U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin cited health and safety risks, including uncleanliness, limited medical access and overcrowding, in the facility at 31 Hopkins Plaza in downtown Baltimore.
The holding cells at the ICE field office downtown have been the center of controversy for nearly a year after detainees reported overcrowding, inadequate food and lack of medical care.
Baltimore bus expansion gets more money, transportation officials say
Creating a new, fifth bus division is the linchpin for the BMORE Bus plan, a long-term vision to expand and improve Baltimore’s bus service that has received a steady drumbeat of support from transit advocates and city politicians since its release last year.
Buses leave the MTA’s Eastern Division bus lot on May 6, 2025.
Amtrak to launch West Baltimore community grant process after months of uncertainty
Amtrak will begin doling out $50 million to community groups this year for workforce development initiatives, historic preservation and more as part of the replacement of its aged West Baltimore tunnel.
An Amtrak train is stopped in Penn Station’s newly constructed platform 5 before the opening event for the platform on Monday, Jan. 29, 2024 in Baltimore, MD. (Wesley Lapointe / for the Baltimore Banner)
Baltimore lagging on pothole repairs in 2026, but ‘blitz’ is underway
Baltimore has potholes. A lot of them. And because of that, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation has launched a “pothole blitz.”
FEBRUARY 25, 2026 - A pedestrian sign was stuffed inside this Baltimore beauty at the intersection of Patterson Park Ave and Gough Street.
Proposal would give Baltimore more control over public transit
Annapolis lawmakers are considering a proposal to cede some of the governor’s authority over public transit in Baltimore to local authorities — a move that advocates say is long overdue.
A failed measure to change the zoning of Cromwell Station potentially risks state investment for a reimagined Light Rail Link parking lot in Glen Burnie.
Confirmation of Moore’s transportation secretary on hold over Baltimore transit funding
State lawmakers held off on confirming Gov. Wes Moore’s nominee for transportation secretary Monday evening over funding for Baltimore’s public transit system.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and state officials discuss preparations for an upcoming snow storm at the State house on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
City Council wanted oversight of the transportation department. Results are mixed.
“While I’m encouraged by the progress made to date and grateful for the collaboration across branches [of government], I remain frustrated by the lack of progress or, in some cases, the failure to recognize that progress is still needed,” City Council President Zeke Cohen said Thursday.
A streetlight in the Charles Village neighborhood of Baltimore on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
What happens when ICE wants to open a detention facility in your hometown
With ICE set to move in down the road, residents in mostly — but not entirely — conservative Washington County are grappling with what it means for their community.
A newly purchased ICE detention facility sits among rolling farmland and recent snow in Williamsport.
Water taxi users to see adjusted routes, operating hours in March
Baltimore’s free water taxi service is set for tweaks as the city eyes bigger changes along the waterfront, Mayor Brandon Scott and the transportation department announced Wednesday.
The Harbor Connector picks up passengers in the Inner Harbor last summer. Adjusted routes and trip times for the Connector — a network of three free boat routes often colloquially referred to as the water taxi — will take effect March 2.
ICE cannot detain Kilmar Ábrego García again, federal judge rules
Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials cannot re-detain Kilmar Ábrego García, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
A federal judge ruled Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials cannot re-detain Kilmar Ábrego García.
Beware the pothole: Road craters proliferate across Baltimore after freeze and thaw
Get those 311 requests ready, Baltimore — warmer weather after any freeze means more potholes are likely to form.
A road hazard cone sits inside a pothole along Frederick Avenue in Baltimore.
‘Driver retirement’ planning can be scary, but experts say it’s also an opportunity
In a country built around car ownership, and in Maryland where 1 in 5 drivers is 65 or older, giving up the keys as an older adult can feel like saying goodbye to activity and independence.
Nina Uzick, 74, in her car outside her home in Olney. Uzick helps coordinate driver safety initiatives for AARP as an instructor and district coordinator.
Baltimore riders demand faster buses, more funding in Annapolis
Some lawmakers joined Baltimore City students and transit advocates in Annapolis on Monday to advocate for funding for a plan to improve bus service.
Roughly 200 students and transportation advocates rallied in Annapolis Monday night for more funding to expand Baltimore’s bus service.
Snow-covered bus stops and sidewalks make getting around Baltimore a dangerous endeavor
As the Baltimore region struggles to emerge from a winter storm and arctic temperatures, entombed bus stops and sidewalks are creating difficulties — and danger — for public transit riders and pedestrians.
A man boards a bus on Charles Street on Wednesday.
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