Federal Agencies to Sell Warehouses Considered for Immigration Detention
Federal authorities are gearing up to divest warehouses, including those in Berks and Schuylkill counties, which were initially earmarked as potential immigration detention centers.
According to a report from The New York Times, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to either sell or transfer most of the seven warehouses it acquired for the purpose of detaining immigrants. Notably, the facilities in Upper Berne Township in Berks County and Tremont Township in Schuylkill County are among those on the list.
The warehouses were acquired for over $700 million. They are either set to be reassigned to another federal agency or sold outright to private entities.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) emphasized the agency’s ongoing commitment to deporting serious criminal offenders swiftly. In an email to Lebanon Daily News, the spokesperson stated, “Once apprehended, these violent criminals should be transported at lightning speed, rather than being held on U.S. soil at taxpayer expense.” The agency is actively collaborating with state and county officials to make use of existing detention resources.
In Berks County, the federal government purchased a 518,000-square-foot facility on Mountain Road in Upper Berne Township for $87 million, with a holding capacity of up to 1,500 individuals. Another site on Rausch Creek Road in Tremont Township was acquired for $120 million and could accommodate 7,500 people.
Residents and local officials have voiced concerns about the lack of transparency from ICE and DHS since the acquisitions were made. Visits to the Mountain Road site by Lebanon Daily News reporters revealed underlying anxieties among residents regarding the implications of having an ICE facility nearby, particularly concerning its impact on local businesses.
On March 5, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued five executive orders to DHS, including directives for municipal authorities in Schuylkill County, Tremont Township, and Upper Bern Township. These orders stipulate that water and wastewater services cannot be provided to the warehouses, and no occupancy will be permitted until compliance with federal and state environmental regulations is certified by DHS.
The DEP expressed concerns regarding potential sewage generation, noting that the anticipated annual flow rate for the Tremont Wastewater Treatment Plant in 2025 is about 394,000 gallons per day. The use of the Tremont warehouse for housing 7,500 individuals could produce between 450,000 and 1 million gallons of sewage daily, while the Upper Bern facility could generate approximately 112,500 to 225,000 gallons per day from its 1,500-person capacity.
As of now, authorities have not disclosed the future ownership of the warehouses or the specific timeline for the sale or transition of these properties.
