Maryland Lawmakers Demand Answers on Disturbing ICE Facility Conditions

Lawmakers cite video showing overcrowded holding rooms and lack of basic necessities for detainees

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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A group of Maryland lawmakers, including U.S. Senators and Representatives, is pressing the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to address "deeply disturbing" conditions at an ICE facility in Baltimore. The lawmakers have visited the facility and cited a video showing dozens of detainees packed into small holding rooms, as well as reports of overcrowding, lack of food and water, and inadequate bedding. They are demanding answers to over 20 questions about the facility's policies and treatment of detainees.

Why it matters

The conditions at the Baltimore ICE facility have raised serious concerns about the fair and humane treatment of immigration detainees. The lawmakers' push for transparency and accountability reflects growing scrutiny over the treatment of immigrants in custody, an issue that has become politically charged in recent years.

The details

Several Maryland lawmakers, including Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and Representatives Kweisi Mfume, Steny Hoyer, Jamie Raskin, and others, sent a letter to DHS and ICE leadership demanding answers about the "inhumane conditions and reported violations of legal rights" at the George H. Fallon Federal Building ICE facility in Baltimore. The lawmakers cited a video shared on social media last month that showed dozens of detainees packed into a small holding room. They also referenced their own visits to the facility, where they found overcrowding, lack of food and water, and inadequate bedding. ICE has denied the allegations of inhumane conditions, but the lawmakers say their previous questions about facility policies have gone unanswered.

  • In early February 2026, Representative April McClain Delaney inspected five holding rooms that can hold up to 226 people and called the conditions "heartbreaking and horrendous".
  • On February 12, 2026, Representative Jamie Raskin visited the facility and described the conditions as "staggeringly overcrowded", with 134 adults and no children present.
  • In August 2025, Senators Chris Van Hollen and Kweisi Mfume, along with Representative Sarah Elfreth, visited the facility after previously being denied a tour earlier that week.

The players

Chris Van Hollen

U.S. Senator for Maryland.

Angela Alsobrooks

U.S. Senator for Maryland.

Kweisi Mfume

U.S. Representative for Maryland's 7th congressional district.

Kristi Noem

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Todd Lyons

Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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What they’re saying

“The conditions revealed in the video are deeply disturbing and necessitate more information as to how the field office and agency are enforcing our immigration laws safely and humanely.”

— Maryland Lawmakers (Letter to DHS and ICE)

“This whole detention center is really only meant to hold people for 12 hours and is being used to hold people for 24, 48, 72 hours or longer, depending on if they've asked for habeas corpus or if they have medical conditions or the transport planes are full.”

— April McClain Delaney, U.S. Representative (CBS News)

“They are packed in a way that no one would want to see their family members. I hope we are going to be able to do better in facilities like this over the country.”

— Jamie Raskin, U.S. Representative (CBS News)

What’s next

The lawmakers have requested a response from DHS and ICE leadership addressing their questions and concerns about the conditions at the Baltimore ICE facility. They are seeking greater transparency and accountability around the treatment of immigration detainees.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement and the treatment of detainees in custody. The lawmakers' push for answers reflects broader concerns about the fairness and humanity of the U.S. immigration system, an issue that continues to be politically divisive.