Fired 'ICE Barbie' Kristi Noem's $1Billion Warehouse-to-Jail Scheme Now Teetering on Collapse — After Judge Halted Key Site Over Safety Concerns
Kristi Noem's billion-dollar migrant detention plan is facing major legal setbacks.
April 28 2026, Published 5:05 p.m. ET
Kristi Noem's billion-dollar push to transform commercial warehouses into migrant detention hubs is unraveling under mounting legal pressure, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
A federal judge has now stepped in, throwing one of the program's key projects into chaos.
Judge Blocks Controversial Maryland Site
A federal judge blocked a key Maryland site over safety and environmental concerns.
The biggest blow came when U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson halted plans to transform a $102million warehouse in Williamsport, Maryland, into a detention facility for up to 1,500 migrants, The Daily Beast reported.
Hurson ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement failed to complete a legally required environmental review before moving forward, a misstep that could ripple across the entire program.
Court filings revealed the proposed facility would have just four toilets and two water fountains, raising serious concerns about conditions.
The judge warned the rushed conversion could "jeopardize the health and safety of the surrounding ecosystem," while state officials flagged risks to a nearby Potomac River tributary and protected species.
$1B Plan Faces Mounting Legal Threats
Plans revealed facilities with minimal amenities, including just four toilets.
Noem's sweeping plan, first revealed by The Daily Beast, aimed to convert warehouses nationwide into high-capacity migrant processing hubs as part of President Donald Trump's push for 100,000 detention beds.
One senior ICE official even described the concept as being akin to an Amazon Prime warehouse, but for people.
Documents reviewed by The Washington Post show just how massive the plan was, with proposals for facilities housing up to 10,000 detainees in Stafford, Virginia, roughly 40 miles outside Washington, D.C., alongside similarly large sites in Hutchins, Texas, near Dallas, and Hammond, Louisiana.
But the $1billion effort has been hit with lawsuits, community backlash, and stalled deals across the country, with similar legal challenges emerging in New Jersey, Michigan, and Arizona.
According to The New York Times, Justice Department officials have privately warned that bypassing environmental laws could open the floodgates to further legal action.
Internal Doubts Emerge Inside DHS
Critics say the proposal resembled an 'Amazon warehouse for people.'
The legal chaos is now spilling into internal divisions within the Department of Homeland Security.
Noem's successor, Markwayne Mullin, has reportedly raised concerns about continuing the warehouse strategy since taking over, with officials signaling hesitation about acquiring additional sites.
Outgoing ICE Director Todd Lyons confirmed the agency is actively reconsidering its next moves and reviewing broader detention plans tied to the initiative.
"We're making decisions based on if we're going to move forward at those locations," he told lawmakers.
Probe, Backlash, and a Program in Limbo
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Lawsuits and community backlash are mounting across multiple states.
Complicating matters further, Mullin has also backed an internal probe into how Noem and her close adviser, and rumored partner, Corey Lewandowski, handled DHS contracts tied to the plan.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has pushed back, insisting it followed federal law and accusing "liberals" of using environmental rules to undermine Trump's immigration crackdown.
