U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks is raising concerns about conditions at a federal immigration detention site in Baltimore, calling the facility “inhumane” and “unfit even to house animals” after visiting the location for the second time.
Alsobrooks made the remarks following an inspection of a facility operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore, where lawmakers say immigrants have been held in overcrowded and inadequate conditions.
“This is the second time I’ve had an opportunity to come to this particular facility, and each time it makes the hair stand up on your arms,” Alsobrooks said in a video statement after the visit. “This facility is unfit even to house animals.”
Federal Judge Ordered Capacity Limits
The senator’s remarks come shortly after a ruling by Julie Rubin, who ordered changes to the facility’s operations following litigation over detention conditions.
Rubin ruled that the facility’s five holding rooms could hold no more than 55 detainees at one time—far fewer than previous capacity levels that lawmakers say allowed more than 220 people to be detained in the space.
Alsobrooks praised the court order but said the prior level of crowding was “unimaginable.”
“To house at least 225 people in these rooms—it’s just unimaginable how that could happen,” she said.
Lawmakers who toured the site described rooms containing concrete benches and limited sanitation facilities, raising concerns about detainees’ access to medical care and basic hygiene.
Part of a Broader Immigration Policy Debate
Alsobrooks also criticized the administration’s immigration enforcement priorities, linking the facility’s conditions to broader federal policy decisions.
“The conditions are inhumane, they are cruel,” she said. “Instead of lowering gas prices, this administration chooses to spend its time on this cruelty.”
Her comments reflect a larger national debate about immigration enforcement and detention conditions in the United States. Immigration advocates and some lawmakers have increasingly criticized the expansion of detention capacity and increased funding for enforcement operations.
The issue has received heightened attention in recent months as federal officials expand detention infrastructure nationwide and immigration enforcement activity increases in several regions.
Oversight and Potential Legal Action
Alsobrooks visited the facility alongside other members of Maryland’s congressional delegation as part of their oversight responsibilities under federal law.
Members of Congress have authority to inspect immigration detention facilities to ensure compliance with legal standards governing detention conditions and treatment of detainees.
Lawmakers have previously accused federal officials of limiting transparency or restricting access to facilities during oversight visits. At the same time, immigration officials have maintained that detention operations comply with federal standards and that facilities are designed for short-term processing rather than long-term detention.
For Alsobrooks, the issue remains a matter of legal accountability and human rights.
“These conditions are inhumane,” she said. “They are cruel.”
Her remarks add to the growing scrutiny surrounding immigration detention practices and the legal standards governing how detainees are held in federal custody.
