Shapiro administration will "aggressively pursue every option" to keep ICE facilities from opening in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro slammed the Department of Homeland Security's plans to open two immigration detention facilities in the state, accusing the agency of disregarding how the centers would impact residents who live nearby.

In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Feb. 12, Shapiro claimed plans to open centers in Berks and Schuylkill counties would threaten local infrastructure, threaten water and sewer functions in the surrounding areas, and "deprive local communities of critical tax revenue."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement finalized the purchase of properties in Tremont and Upper Bern Township in early February.

"If you press ahead, my Administration will aggressively pursue every option to prevent these facilities from opening and needlessly harming the good people of Pennsylvania," Shapiro wrote.

Shapiro met with leaders in both counties Thursday to discuss the proposed detention centers.

"These two facilities, in addition to I believe being violative of people's Constitutional rights given the direction and mission, will have significant and negative impacts on these two local communities," he said following the meeting.

The governor said representatives from Berks and Schuylkill counties expressed frustration with the "secrecy" around the purchases. According to Shapiro, county officials weren't notified that ICE had planned to buy the warehouses until the deeds were filed.

"A lot of frustration, and we share this at the commonwealth level, with secrecy around this process," Shapiro said. "They really didn't learn about this until the deed was filed and the deal was done."

Immigration centers would jeopardize safety, Shapiro says

In his letter to Noem earlier this month, Shapiro outlined a myriad of issues his administration says communities would face should the centers open. In Tremont, the governor said, the proposed facility could require up to 800,000 gallons of water each day, more than double the capacity of the area's current water system.

"The Tremont water system today services 700 households. They would need to triple their capacity" to accommodate the ICE facility," Shapiro said Thursday.

The governor's letter added that the influx of thousands of detainees and staff would put a strain on the township's single ambulance company and pull emergency resources from residents in the county.

Shapiro said the planned facility would "likely result in more than 14 times the legally permitted amount of wastewater" in Upper Bern Township and could increase the risk of raw sewage polluting local waterways.

"In addition to these very real harms and your Department's shameful record, your planned actions raise substantial legal and regulatory concerns," he said. "Should you choose to go forward, you would be violating the rights of Pennsylvanians, increasing utility costs, harming our economy, and making us less safe."

Steve Fisher lives directly behind the proposed facility in Upper Bern Township. While he was OK with the idea of living next to the site, he was worried about the attention and protests it could draw. He also brought up possible sewer issues.

"I don't mind. This is what we voted for, and I don't have a problem with that," Fisher said. "I mean, they can pump water. What are they going to do with the sewers? Pump it over here in the fields? Well, I think we all would rather they find somewhere else. But again, nobody else wants it in their neighborhood either."

A DHS memo titled "ICE Detention Reengineering Initiative" says the agency plans to acquire and renovate eight large-scale detention centers and 16 processing sites "to meet the growing demand for bedspace." The $38 billion project would be funded by money allocated in President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

"These will not be warehouses — they will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards," an ICE spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News Philadelphia. "Every day, DHS is conducting law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe. It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space."

Lawmakers, officials express concern over detention facilities

Sen. John Fetterman expressed similar concerns about converting the warehouses into ICE detention facilities in his own letter to Noem earlier this month.

"While I have been clear in my support for the enforcement of federal immigration law, this decision will do significant damage to these local tax bases, set back decades-long efforts to boost economic development, and place undue burdens on limited existing infrastructure in these communities," Fetterman wrote.

"My constituents are concerned that DHS and ICE made the decision to purchase these facilities without any local input yet expect the residents of these communities to shoulder the infrastructure, public safety, sanitation, and economic burdens imposed on them," he continued. "Frankly, these are concerns that I share."

In a statement Thursday, Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser said, in part, "These recent developments have raised serious concerns, and I share many of the same questions being raised by local officials and residents. I have been in regular communication with DHS officials and spoken with elected leaders in both Schuylkill and Berks Counties, and we will continue those discussions as we work to get clear answers."

Both facilities would be in Meuser's district. He added that some of his concerns include "water and sewage capacity, utility usage, transportation impacts, security considerations, potential impacts on local tax revenue, and the overall operational plan."

In Bucks County, the board of commissioners unanimously voted to oppose warehouses from becoming detention facilities.

In Lehigh County, the Office of the Lehigh County Executive urged industrial and warehouse property owners not to sell or lease space to the federal government for use as immigration detention centers.

"Lehigh County should never be a place where human suffering is treated as a business opportunity," Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel said. "We are asking property owners to stand with our community, reject the expansion of inhumane detention practices, and help ensure our county remains grounded in dignity, humanity, and respect for human rights."