BALTIMORE — Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation are pressing for “immediate remediation” as Legionella bacteria remains in the water at Baltimore’s federal building, which houses ICE and other agencies. Meanwhile, federal officials say safety measures are already in place and there is no threat.

In a letter sent Friday to the U.S. General Services Administration, nine lawmakers said the outbreak is particularly concerning given reported overcrowding at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office’s holding rooms and the presence of a child care facility in the building.

GSA said it is actively monitoring and treating the water system using a drinking water management plan, which includes flushing, temperature and disinfectant checks, and periodic retesting for Legionella.

“GSA is committed to ensuring the safety of federal employees, contractors, and visitors in our federal buildings,” a spokesperson told The Baltimore Sun.

In late January, Rep. April McClain Delaney toured five holding rooms at the ICE field office in Baltimore. And in February, Rep. Jamie Raskin visited the same office, telling reporters that one of the rooms he toured held 55 detainees. He said he would put no more than “a dozen or 15 people” in a space like that.

Speaking to The Sun on Friday, an ICE spokesperson said “illegal aliens detained at the Baltimore Field Office are provided bottled water at all times. The continued fixation by the media to portray ICE processing centers in a negative light is both misleading and irresponsible.”

The spokesperson added that the agency would like to move detainees out of the field office, but “local elected officials will prevent ICE from completing, and moving into, the modern and state of the art facility in Elkridge Maryland; it’s such a hypocrisy.”

GSA confirmed the presence of Legionella bacteria in a November 2025 baseline test and treated the building with hyperchlorination. However, in the letter, lawmakers said it’s concerning the bacteria remains in the water system, and some tenants may not be aware of the ongoing risk.

“The presence of these bacteria, and the lack of clear direction from GSA, poses a serious health and safety threat for all users of the Fallon building,” the letter states.

In addition to the ICE regional office, the building houses offices for the U.S. Treasury, Veterans Affairs and the Department of Justice.

What is legionella?

The Legionella bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a type of severe pneumonia. Infections can occur when people breathe in the bacteria from water or soil.

Lawmakers requested detailed information from GSA, including all testing dates and results, the timing of treatment, the agency’s testing frequency, and whether tenants have received notifications or updates. They also asked if corrective actions and follow-up testing have been carried out, which GSA confirmed to The Sun that it has.

Legionella has been detected in other federal and state buildings in the Baltimore area in recent years. In July 2024, for instance, it was detected in water fixtures of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Social Security Administration facilities in Woodlawn.

In late 2024, all four buildings in the State Center office complex in Baltimore tested positive for the bacteria, as did City Hall, the Abel Wolman building, three district courthouses and the city’s two circuit courthouses.

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