Congressman Dan Meuser confirmed that federal officials are canceling plans for proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers at warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
Meuser, who represents the 9th Congressional district, said in a statement June 26 that his office was directly informed that the Department of Homeland Security “has advanced immigration enforcement plans” that would not include the proposed sites.
“The Administration’s plans evolved based on operational needs and, in large part, the extensive due diligence conducted by county and local officials, working alongside my office to ensure the best possible outcome for the community,” Meuser said. “The careful review of the proposed sites and engagement with DHS played an important role throughout this process. My office will provide an update upon learning of the definitive plans for the sites.”
According to a report from the New York Times, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials plan to sell or give away most of the 11 warehouses bought to detain immigrants. Among those listed is the warehouse in Upper Bern Twp, which is about 15 minutes from the Lebanon County border.
The seven warehouses were purchased for more than $700 million, and are reported to be either given to other federal agencies or sold outright.
“From day one, DHS has remained singularly focused on removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from the United States and is always evaluating the best methods to do so,” a DHS spokesperson said in an email to the Lebanon Daily News on June 20. “These heinous criminals, once arrested, should be removed at lightning speed, not housed on American soil at the taxpayer’s expense. DHS is moving swiftly to utilize EXISTING detention space with our state and county partners.”
In Berks County, federal officials bought a 518,000‑square‑foot building on Mountain Road in Upper Bern Township for $87 million, and it would have had the capacity to detain 1,500 people. Another warehouse on Rausch Creek Road in Tremont Township was purchased for $120 million and would have had the capacity to detain 7,500 people.
Both residents and government officials have criticized ICE and DHS for a lack of transparency and engagement since the purchase of the buildings. Lebanon Daily News reporters visited the 3501 Mountain Road site multiple times, where many residents expressed concerns about having an ICE facility in their own backyard and what that might mean for local businesses.
Officials have not confirmed who the future owners of the warehouses could be, or when the transition or sale would occur.
