Dozens of residents and elected officials crowded the sidewalk yesterday outside the Metro 1 office building at 6505 Belcrest Road in Hyattsville, rallying against reports that the Department of Homeland Security is pursuing a lease that could be used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At the "ICE Out" rally, speakers warned that placing an ICE-linked office so close to homes, a church and nearby social-service providers could put immigrant families on edge and discourage them from seeking help. Organizers said they were not just protesting a potential lease, but demanding basic answers about what the space would be used for and who would actually be working there.
Maryland lawmakers and Prince George’s County leaders lined up alongside residents, voicing alarm over a possible DHS lease that "could be used for ICE enforcement," according to FOX 5 DC. The outlet reported that Rep. Glenn Ivey and County Executive Aisha Braveboy were among those at the microphone, pressing federal officials for transparency and for concrete protections for people living and working nearby. Organizers repeatedly invoked the "ICE Out" tagline, arguing that the large turnout showed just how anxious the community is about any expansion of ICE’s presence in the building.
Lawmakers Demand Answers
Behind the microphones, the political pressure campaign is already on paper. Rep. Glenn Ivey, together with Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, has sent a joint letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE leadership asking for detailed information about a proposed lease at 6505 Belcrest Road, according to Rep. Ivey’s office. They want specifics: the square footage, the number of staff, how long the lease would last, and whether the site would contain any holding rooms.
The letter sets a Feb. 27 deadline for a written response and presses DHS to spell out whether the space would be strictly administrative or would support enforcement operations. "Any expansion of ICE’s footprint in Prince George’s County warrants clear and timely communication with affected communities and their elected representatives," the lawmakers wrote.
ICE Presence And A Broader Buildout
ICE already has its name on the building directory. The agency’s own field-office listing shows an Office of the Principal Legal Advisor located at 6505 Belcrest Road, indicating that ICE maintains a legal presence inside Metro 1, according to ICE. On top of that, national reporting has documented a much wider DHS and ICE push to secure more than 150 new leases across the country as the agency grows its physical footprint, as detailed by WIRED.
Local advocates say that broader pattern is exactly why they want clarity in Hyattsville: is this just more space for lawyers and back-office staff, or is it a step toward on-site enforcement or detention capacity? For now, they note, all of that remains unanswered.
How Big Is The Space?
Even the size of the potential office is a point of debate. A federal procurement notice cited by Hyattsville Wire described a General Services Administration request for roughly 3,750 to 5,001 square feet of furnished office space within a five-mile radius of the city. But some county leaders told Patch they believe ICE may be pursuing a much larger footprint.
Those clashing estimates have only fueled calls for DHS to reconcile the numbers and clearly explain what is, and is not, planned for the Metro 1 building.
Why Neighbors Are Worried
In their letter, the members of Congress highlighted that the proposed space sits just blocks from a church and in the same building as a Social Services Office of Family Investment, a proximity emphasized by Sen. Van Hollen’s office. That detail is landing at a sensitive moment: Maryland has just moved to prohibit formal local 287(g) partnerships with ICE, a bill Gov. Wes Moore signed into law this week, sharpening debate over how the agency will carry out enforcement in the state, according to WBAL.
Residents and service providers say the uncertainty around the lease is already affecting how families approach local support programs, with some worried that walking into a building tied to ICE in any way could carry risks.
What Officials Want Next
The same lawmakers pressing DHS in public have formally asked the agency and ICE to deliver a full written response by Feb. 27 outlining the exact purpose of the Hyattsville space, planned staffing levels and whether any security or holding-room features are included, according to Rep. Ivey’s office. Until those answers arrive, elected leaders say they will keep pushing for transparency and for protections that ensure neighborhood services stay safe and accessible.
Local advocates add that whatever DHS writes back will likely determine the next steps, including whether further oversight, public hearings or local policy responses are on the table.
Bottom Line
For now, Hyattsville residents and their representatives are in a holding pattern, demanding clear information about what an expanded ICE footprint at Metro 1 would mean for their neighborhood and for nearby social-service programs. With the federal reply due Feb. 27, the fight over how and where ICE operates in Maryland is set to remain front and center for local leaders and the community in the days ahead.
