Overview
- Sen. Chris Van Hollen said he was denied a tour on Tuesday as Reps. Kweisi Mfume and Johnny Olszewski awaited responses to their requests to enter the downtown field office.
- Gov. Wes Moore’s office called the conditions unacceptable, and Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson said the episode bolsters Democrats’ push to ban 287(g) agreements with ICE.
- A DHS statement said winter weather halted transportation and that detainees are receiving food, blankets, water, and medical services.
- The video shows dozens of men packed into a cinderblock room, with the narrator alleging 10-plus days in custody without bathing and reports of a guard beating, claims not confirmed by ICE or DHS.
- Advocates cite ICE-derived data indicating 20–50 people per cell and more than a quarter held beyond 72 hours, despite guidance that holding rooms are intended for brief stays under a waiver allowing up to 72 hours.