On March 5, 2026, a private family-owned company filed a lawsuit against Howard County after Executive Calvin Ball revoked the building permit for the rented Elkridge property’s planned renovation by the federal government to be partially used as a detention facility for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The county revoked the building permit after Ball submitted emergency legislation to prohibit privately-owned buildings being permitted to operate as detention centers in Howard County. “We will continue to stand firm against any criminalization of our residents based on immigration status, race, ethnicity, or any other protected characteristic under our laws,” Ball stated in a Feb. 2, 2026, press release.
The Lawsuit
The company, Genesis Gsa Strategic One, LLC, alleges that the county is interfering with federal government operations and the company is losing thousands of dollars each day the renovation of their 6522 Meadowridge Road building is incomplete.
They are also claiming this is a violation of the Supremacy Clause, which states that “federal treaties and statutes supersede inconsistent state laws” as well as the Contract Clause, which protects private rights from state interference.
Michael Edeny, an attorney representing Genesis, claims that the county government has known about the federal contract since the beginning, and approved all of the details for it. Federal contract records and planning documents reviewed by The Baltimore Banner show the planned ICE facility had been “in the works” since Joe Biden’s presidency in 2022.
Ball claims to have been unaware of the project until January 2026, “In retrospect, there might be people who say, ‘Oh, they should have known all along,’ Ball said. ‘Most people do not want their county executive going through every permit and making some sort of calculus of what they’re going to do,’” he said to The Baltimore Banner.
Alongside Ball’s emergency legislation submission, Ball cites both Howard County’s Building Code and Maryland’s state code and law as factors in revoking the building permit.
According to Ball, Howard County has reason to believe Genesis’ 6522 Meadowridge Road building meets the definition of an “Immigration Detention Facility” as defined by State Code. State Law requires private immigration detention facilities to give certain public notice and hearing prior to being authorized, which the proposed facility did not provide.
The Department of Inspections, Licensing, and Permits (DILP) was authorized to suspend or revoke a permit “on the basis of incorrect, inaccurate or incomplete information, or in violation of any ordinance or regulation or any of the provision of this code,” doing so February 2, 2026.
The Facility
The facility sits at 6522 Meadowridge Road, Elkridge, Maryland. It is owned by Genesis Gsa Strategic One, LLC. A third-party company, Mckeever services, applied and received a permit to renovate the building in 2025.
It is in an existing office park within a one-mile radius of schools, healthcare providers, parks, and neighborhoods. Ball says the close proximity to these locations raises concerns about “community safety, public health, welfare, and quality of life.”
Edeny denies claims of the building being turned into a jail, saying it is being used as a “very temporary processing facility” and the holding center is not for overnight or long-term detaining. A spokesperson for ICE says, “the agency does not have plans to purchase a facility or open a detention center in Howard County.”
The Community’s Reaction After receiving news of the facility, hundreds in Howard County gathered to rally against ICE on the day of Ball’s emergency submission. Many filled the council chambers and an overflow room to oppose ICE.
“I was absolutely disgusted. You know, we’re a state known for our liberal point of views, and taking care of people and putting people first, and a detention center is exactly the opposite of that,” Samantha Lester of Arbutus commented in a CBS News interview.
Another resident, Turner Queen, added a similar sentiment, “Me and my partner are going to be moving soon and finding out that something so heinous was going to be in our backyard. It just kind of seemed like something that we wanted to speak up about.”
Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, a U.S representative of MD’s 3rd district, has testified against the Elkridge ICE facility in a public hearing. “As the Trump Administration continues to weaponize ICE and stoke fear in our communities, we have to be united across government – local, state, and federal government – to protect the safety and dignity of our neighbors,” Elfreth testified in support of Ball’s emergency legislation.
The general consensus from Maryland residents on social media is generally in favor of the county’s halt of the facility’s renovations. One Reddit user from Prince George’s county commented “Nice – good job Howard County!” Another user made a call to action against a Hagerstown warehouse also being rented out by ICE, “Good. Now let’s make some noise about the one in Hagerstown because I’m not exactly fond of a concentration camp in my backyard.”
A user on Instagram criticizes the county government’s issuing of the permit in the first place, commenting “Perhaps Howard County should not have issued building permits in the first place, but they did and then decided to play politics. Whether it is the federal government or your home —zoning has become very uncertain, and your property rights are nothing when politics are in play.”
The Status of the Case
The lawsuit is currently ongoing, with both parties refusing to comment on the current legal battle. With four co-sponsors on the bill, supporters of Ball’s emergency legislation are confident it will go through.
