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Williamsport MD — 1,500-Bed ICE Detention Center (Goldman Sachs / Fundrise)

Washington, MD FIPS 24043
1,500
Bed capacity
Operator: ICE (federal)

Note: This is the same physical facility as hagerstown-md-warehouse. This entry focuses on the financial chain; see hagerstown-md-warehouse for the full litigation and community fight timeline.

Overview

A long-vacant 825,620-square-foot warehouse at 16220 Wright Road in Williamsport, Maryland (rural western Maryland) was purchased by DHS on January 16, 2026 for $102.4 million to be converted into a 1,500-bed ICE detention center. The financial trail illustrates how the detention expansion functions as a wealth-rescue mechanism for institutional investors holding distressed assets. The project is currently paused — blocked by a federal TRO and the DHS-wide warehouse review under Secretary Mullin.

Ownership and Financial Chain

  1. The warehouse served as a series of failed food processing and industrial facilities
  2. Most recently owned by Fundrise, a direct-access alternative asset manager that allows investors to buy portions of properties (sold via entity FRND-Hopewell LLC)
  3. The facility never took off — Fundrise consistently listed its continued vacancy as a liability on SEC financial disclosures
  4. In late 2025, Goldman Sachs refinanced the property as part of a $352 million loan — months before DHS purchase
  5. The property was then sold to the Department of Homeland Security for $102.4 million

The Pattern

The Goldman Sachs refinancing is significant: by refinancing a distressed property months before a federal purchase, Goldman positioned itself to recover its investment through the taxpayer-funded acquisition. The property went from being a listed liability on Fundrise’s SEC filings to a profitable exit via the ICE expansion.

  • Feb 23, 2026: Maryland AG Anthony Brown sued DHS/ICE (NEPA + APA violations)
  • Mar 11, 2026: U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson issued Temporary Restraining Order
  • Mar 19, 2026: TRO extended four more weeks
  • Mar 26, 2026: Earthjustice/Center for Biological Diversity filed amicus (endangered mussels, water quality)
  • Apr 1, 2026: DHS Secretary Mullin paused all new warehouse purchases; Williamsport specifically scaled back — DHS says it will not pursue retrofitting for detention until additional environmental analysis completed
  • Apr 15, 2026: Judge Hurson grants preliminary injunction — blocks retrofitting/full construction (carve-outs for security, fencing, HVAC, roof, office drywall) pending litigation
  • May 12, 2026: DHS tells Washington County it has determined an Environmental Assessment is warranted and will re-engage Section 106 (National Historic Preservation Act) consulting parties — the NEPA review the injunction demanded
  • May 20, 2026: Bloomberg Law confirms DHS is conducting NEPA reviews for both Williamsport (MD) and Roxbury (NJ) — a reversal of the earlier categorical-exclusion stance; MD and NJ reached agreements with DHS to study water/sewage impacts
  • June 2, 2026: No Fourth Circuit appeal of the PI filed; DHS pursuing EA/Section 106 compliance rather than appellate reversal. Project remains paused.

Maryland has also passed the Dignity Not Detention Act to resist the warehouse program. See washington-county-md-warehouse-fight for the full litigation timeline.

Goldman Sachs Connections

Goldman Sachs is also the former majority owner of the Roxbury, NJ warehouse purchased by ICE for $129.3 million (137% over value). Goldman’s Trump ties include Gary Cohn (NEC Director, first term) and Steve Mnuchin (Treasury Secretary, first term), plus second-term appointments.

Goldman Sachs told More Perfect Union: “As a lender, we are not involved in the operations and management of the portfolios of assets we lend to.”

Sources

Edit Report issue County profile
Last updated: Jul 3, 2026