After Rep. McClain Delaney Shut the Community Out of ICE Facility Roundtable, They Organized Their Own
Shut out of the room, residents are now demanding answers on their own terms
Tonight, something unusual is happening in Washington County.
A town hall about the proposed ICE detention warehouse near Hagerstown. Open to the public. Accessible online. Featuring candidates, organizers, and a physician warning about what’s at stake.
That might not sound remarkable until you understand why it exists.
This town hall is happening because the public was shut out.
After months of unanswered questions and growing concern about the conversion of an 825,000-square-foot warehouse into a 1,500-bed ICE detention center, residents were excluded from a recent “community” roundtable hosted by Representative April McClain Delaney. The general public, many of the most engaged community members, and many organizations working on this issue, were not allowed in the room.
So Ethan Wechtaluk, candidate for Maryland’s sixth congressional district, organized a virtual town hall that is actually open to the public.
The virtual town hall will take place on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 8:00 PM ET and will be accessible to the public at MdTownHall.com.
“People in Washington County aren’t asking for special treatment. They’re asking not to be shut out of decisions that affect their lives. If elected officials won’t open the door, this town hall will,” Wechtaluk said.
That sentiment has been building for months.
Residents have been organizing, protesting weekly, filing public records requests, and asking basic questions about a project that could fundamentally reshape their community. What they have received in return is silence, deflection, and exclusion.
“Community members have been left with nothing but ambiguity and uncertainty due to information being withheld from them at every level of leadership,” said Bre Gurosko, co-founder of Project Salt Box. “The goal of this town hall is to provide the only resolution to uncertainty: information.”
The frustration is not just about the facility itself. It is about how decisions are being made.
In February, Washington County Commissioners unanimously endorsed the plan to convert the warehouse into an ICE detention center. At the same time, they declined to answer basic questions from the public about the project.
Then came another revelation.
A Maryland Public Information Act request showed that county officials had invited President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Kristi Noem to tour the facility. That directly contradicted earlier claims that they had no contact with the federal government.
For many residents, that was a turning point.
“Washington County residents have made their opposition to the DHS Warehouse known through a variety of creative interventions, but they and all Marylanders deserve a simple public forum where it is easy to ask questions and share their concerns,” said Alexis Goldstein, candidate for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District. “I’m honored to participate in this public town hall.”
Others were more direct.
“If we can’t get a single answer after months of questions, why waste our time with them? We will do our own town hall,” said Patrick Dattilio, founder of Hagerstown Rapid Response.
That line captures the shift that is happening in Hagerstown right now.
This is no longer just a fight over a single facility. It is a fight over whether the public has any meaningful role in decisions that affect their lives.
And for some, the stakes go even deeper.
“As a physician, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when people are detained without adequate medical care. It costs lives,” said Dr. Kate Sugarman, MD. In addition to being a family physician, Dr. Sugarman is one of the key leaders at Doctors for Camp Closure and a core member of Maryland Coalition to Stop the Camps.
“Preventable deaths inside detention facilities continue to climb. These facilities are overcrowded, lack access to proper ventilation and clean water, and restrict access to basic hygiene measures. ICE and DHS have been negligent in providing appropriate and timely medical care for those in detention.”
That warning is not theoretical. It is based on real conditions inside detention facilities across the country.
Candidates at both the state and local level say the lack of accountability is part of a larger pattern.
“We can’t escape the fact that ICE is not being held accountable anywhere. Why would I want that in my state, county, or district?” said Brandon Thompson, candidate for Maryland State District 2A.
“When government stops listening, communities start organizing,” said Seth Funk, candidate for Maryland State District 1C. “This town hall is proof that people here are done being ignored.”
“Residents deserve answers, not silence,” said Teri Pailen, candidate for Washington County Commissioner. “This town hall is about making sure their questions are heard publicly.”
That is ultimately what Thursday night represents.
Not just another event. Not just another protest. Something more fundamental.
A community deciding that if it cannot be included, it will not wait.