ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Some Lehigh County officials are taking a stand against federal immigration detention facilities, sending a letter urging industrial and warehouse property owners to not sell or lease space for those uses.
The letter follows reports that federal authorities have purchased warehouse facilities in nearby communities for immigrant detention.
“Lehigh County should never be a place where human suffering is treated as a business opportunity,” said Executive Siegel, who initiated the letter. “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.”
Signers of the joint letter include Mark Pinsley, Lehigh County Controller, Geoff Brace, Chair of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, multiple members of the Bethlehem City Council, multiple township commissioners representing Lower Macungie and South Whitehall townships, and numerous school board directors.
You can read the full letter that was sent out below: