Bipartisan elected officials in Berks and Schuylkill counties are opposing the federal government’s purchase of two Pennsylvania warehouses that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to convert into large-scale immigration detention centers.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration will pursue “every option” to block the facilities, which would be operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under DHS. The governor recently met with local officials and community leaders from both counties to discuss concerns about the proposal.
In February, Shapiro and senior members of his administration sent letters to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, outlining what they described as potential violations of Pennsylvania law and warning of health, safety and economic consequences for surrounding communities.
“While the federal government ignores Pennsylvanians and their local leaders, I remain committed to protecting the interests of every resident of our Commonwealth,” said Shapiro. “We do not want these detention centers in our communities.”
According to public reports cited by the governor’s office, DHS has proposed converting a warehouse in Upper Bern Township, Berks County, into a detention center capable of holding up to 1,500 people. State officials said that would nearly double the township’s population and strain local infrastructure.
Administration officials said the facility could generate up to 14 times the amount of sewage currently permitted under local limits, potentially overwhelming the township’s water treatment system. Upper Bern Township is served by a single volunteer fire department and depends entirely on the Pennsylvania State Police for police services, with only two acute care hospitals nearby. Officials in the governor's office say doubling the township’s population could threaten residents’ ability to receive help in times of emergency.
Shapiro’s office also estimated the project would result in more than $800,000 annually in lost property tax revenue, including losses to Berks County, Upper Bern Township and the Hamburg Area School District.
In Schuylkill County, DHS is considering converting a warehouse in Tremont Township into a detention center that could hold up to 7,500 people, according to the governor’s office. State officials said the site could require up to 800,000 gallons of water per day — more than double the system’s current capacity — raising concerns about access to drinking water and fire protection.
Tremont Township is served by a single ambulance company and several fire departments from surrounding communities, with three acute care centers in the county. The administration estimated the facility could cost about $1 million annually in lost property tax revenue, affecting Schuylkill County, Tremont Township and the Pine Grove Area School District.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley said the warehouses were not designed to house hundreds or thousands of people and lack the water and sewer infrastructure needed to safely accommodate that volume.
Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker added that the department has requested that DHS submit complete plans for both facilities to ensure compliance with state and local building, fire and life-safety codes.
“Public safety must come first, and that starts with making sure any facility that plans to house people is built, renovated, and operated to meet the standards designed to keep everyone safe," Walker said. "These sites were purchased as commercial warehouses, and any change to an institutional use brings serious fire and life safety requirements under nationally recognized building codes, as well as state and local rules.”
Despite what state officials described as bipartisan opposition from local leaders, the Trump administration has continued to advance the plans. Shapiro reiterated after the meeting that his administration would take aggressive action if DHS moves forward.
