Howard County revokes Elkridge permit tied to planned ICE detention site, citing state notice requirements

Permit withdrawal halts work at Meadowridge Road property

Howard County has revoked a building permit for renovations at a privately owned property in Elkridge after concluding the project appears to fit Maryland’s definition of an immigration detention facility. The decision immediately halted work tied to a proposed detention site expected to be used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The renovation project involves approximately 28,614 square feet inside an existing building at 6522 Meadowridge Road. County officials said the permit was issued on Aug. 5, 2025, following an application submitted by McKeever Services, a permitting and construction services firm based in Fairfax, Virginia. The building owner is Genesis GSA Strategic One, LLC.

What the original permit covered, and what inspections found

County officials said the scope of work described in the permit included improvements to tenant spaces and support areas, along with a “detention facility,” “detainee processing,” and a “secured waiting area.”

Howard County inspection records cited by the county indicate much of the work was approaching completion. The most recent inspection referenced by county officials occurred on Dec. 29, 2025, and passed with conditions, with additional approvals required before any use-and-occupancy certificate could be issued.

State law requirements at the center of the dispute

County officials grounded the revocation in Maryland’s Correctional Services law governing immigration detention facilities operated by private entities. The statute restricts state and local government bodies from issuing permits for construction or reuse of buildings by private entities for use as immigration detention facilities unless two procedural steps occur:

• Public notice at least 180 days before authorizing the permit action.
• At least two separate public meetings to solicit and hear public comments.

Howard County said it had reason to believe the Elkridge site meets the state’s definition of an immigration detention facility, and that the statutory notice-and-hearing process was not followed before the permit was issued.

Emergency bills and upcoming council action

In parallel with the permit revocation, county leaders have advanced emergency legislation. One measure would prohibit permits for privately owned buildings to operate as detention centers in Howard County. A second measure would require publication of county guidance on interactions with ICE, require county departments to adopt policies consistent with that guidance, and declare local ICE-related contracts void and unenforceable as a matter of public policy.

County officials have framed the permitting dispute as a transparency and process issue tied to the conversion of a private office building into a detention-use facility without the public-notice steps required under state law.

What remains unresolved

The revocation stops construction under the current permit, but it does not, by itself, determine whether the project can proceed under a revised process or be challenged through administrative or court action. Separately, county officials have said they did not have confirmed information on specific lease arrangements or contracts between the property owner and federal agencies at the time the county began moving emergency legislation.

Public hearings on the emergency measures are scheduled to begin this week at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City.