MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has launched a new round of legal action against the federal government, filing lawsuits over immigration detention conditions in Baltimore and the construction of a new ICE facility in Hagerstown.
Brown announced this week that his office was taking the federal government to court over conditions at a Baltimore ICE facility.
“So today we’re going to court,” Brown said.
ALSO READ | Court orders temporary halt to ICE detention facility construction in Washington County
The move followed another lawsuit filed last week challenging the federal government’s construction of an ICE facility in Hagerstown. In that case, Brown said, “We’re asking the court to declare what the administration did here was unlawful.”
State Del. Lauren Arikan criticized the attorney general’s approach, arguing the lawsuits are politically driven.
“It’s quite literally every time the administration does something the attorney general is looking for an opportunity to sue,” Arikan said.
In the 14 months since President Donald Trump took office, Brown has signed on to more than one hundred actions against the federal government, including a lawsuit over what Brown called unlawful tariffs, a suit over the suspension of SNAP benefits, and a suit challenging the ban on transgender military service.
Arikan said she believes Brown’s legal strategy is more about politics than policy.
“I’d say we’re seeing some of the greatest theatre that I’ve experienced in politics,” she said.
She also argued that immigration policy is a federal matter.
“The state of Maryland has no say over what the federal governments policies are over immigration,” Arikan said.
I think this is the most politically motivated attorney general Maryland has ever seen.”
Brown defended his actions as necessary to protect Maryland residents.
“The federal government’s not following the law, right?” Brown asked.
ALSO READ | Emergency order seeks to stop Washington County ICE detention facility construction
He said his office will continue to fight for constitutional protections.
“Marylander’s constitutional rights are non-negotiable. It doesn’t matter how long their in the White House or how long they stonewall,” Brown said.
This office will never stop defending them.”
Brown’s legal action did force a delay this week in construction of the ICE facility in Hagerstown. But critics, including Arikan, questioned whether the cost of suing the federal government is producing meaningful results.
“This is nothing more than an election year stunt and hopefully voters will realize that and get offended by it,” Arikan said.
Local Story
