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ICE abandons plans for two proposed Pennsylvania detention centers

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has formally withdrawn plans to develop two large immigration detention centers in Pennsylvania, ending a proposal that drew strong opposition from state officials and local communities.

Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Wednesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reversed plans to convert warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties into detention facilities that together could have housed up to 9,000 immigrants.

The proposed facilities were planned for Upper Bern Township in Berks County, where up to 1,500 detainees would have been held, and Tremont Township in Schuylkill County, where a former Big Lots warehouse was slated to accommodate as many as 7,500 people.

The projects were part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to expand detention capacity in support of its mass deportation agenda. Earlier this year, ICE proposed spending more than $38 billion to purchase and retrofit warehouses nationwide to house tens of thousands of immigrants.

Shapiro opposed the projects from the outset, arguing the warehouse sites were unsuitable for detention centers and would strain local infrastructure. His administration later denied permit requests to upgrade water and sewer systems needed to support the proposed facilities.

In a statement, the governor welcomed the federal decision, saying the planned conversions would have posed risks to the health, safety and infrastructure of the surrounding communities.

ICE confirmed its withdrawal in filings with the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board and in correspondence from Homeland Security officials.

The proposed detention centers had also generated opposition from residents, local officials and community organizations, who raised concerns about humanitarian issues, increased demands on public utilities and potential economic impacts.

Reports surfaced in June that the federal government was considering selling or transferring several warehouse properties, including the two in Pennsylvania, after purchasing them for hundreds of millions of dollars. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman also said at the time that the projects would not move forward after discussions with federal officials.

The cancellation comes as ICE continues to expand detention capacity nationwide, though recent figures show the agency’s detained population remains below the record level reached earlier this year. The proposed Pennsylvania facilities will no longer be part of those expansion efforts.

Source: Phila Inquirer

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