Sen. Fetterman expresses ‘deep concern, opposition’ to ICE’s recently purchased Pa. warehouses
STILL AN ALERT PERIOD FOR THE FRIGID AND GUSTY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY THROUGH TONIGHT. WHEN WE FINALLY SEE THOSE TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE THE FREEZING MARK, I’LL SHOW YOU THAT IN THE FULL TEN DAY FORECAST IN A FEW MINUTES. A PROGRAM LIKE THIS IS CRITICAL IN EVERY COMMUNITY. HOW A GROUP IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY IS HELPING PEOPLE READJUST TO LIFE AFTER BEING INCARCERATED. PRESIDENT TRUMP, FACING BIPARTISAN BACKLASH FOR A NOW REMOVED SOCIAL MEDIA POST INVOLVING THE OBAMAS. I’M JACKIE DEFUSCO IN WASHINGTON WITH WHY THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE WINTER IS HERE. I’M BACK AT THE MILAN-CORTINA OLYMPICS, AND I’M GOING TO TAKE YOU BEHIND THE SCENES AND SHOW YOU WHERE MEMBERS OF FIGURE SKATING, HOCKEY, AND SPEED SKATING. HANG OUT WITH THEIR FAMILIES WHEN THEY HAVE AN OFF DAY HERE AT THE GAMES. WGAL NEWS EIGHT AT SIX STARTS NOW. LOOKING LIVE FROM STORMTRACKER EIGHT TONIGHT AS ALL OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY DEALS WITH DANGEROUSLY COLD TEMPERATURES. THIS YEAR IS ALONG ROUTE 30, CROSSING FROM LANCASTER COUNTY INTO YORK COUNTY. THE STORM TRACKER SHOWS THAT THE TEMPERATURE ON THE ROAD RIGHT NOW IS 17 DEGREES. A LITTLE BIT OF A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL SUNSET THERE, BUT JUST FRIGID. GOOD EVENING. I’M KEN ALEXANDER. THE STORM TEAM HAS MADE AN ALERT DAY FOR THE COLD. METEOROLOGIST IS HERE WITH THE FORECAST. AND, RYAN, WE WERE SAYING YOUR OFFICIAL FORECAST IS THAT IT’S ABSOLUTELY FREEZING. IT’S COLD OUT THERE. I THINK EVERYBODY HAS PUT THAT TOGETHER AT THIS POINT. BUT DON’T LET THE STORM TRACKER EIGHT FOOTAGE THERE AND THE LIVE VIEW FROM THAT. DON’T LET THE SKIES FOOL YOU. NOW IT IS DRY OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, AND WE’RE SEEING SOME MAINLY CLEAR CONDITIONS, ALTHOUGH IT’S VERY COLD OUT THERE. DON’T LET THE FOOL YOU. SO WEATHER HEADLINES THOUGH IS IT’S GOING TO BE COLD. DANGEROUSLY, DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILLS FOR THE REST OF THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. THAT’S REALLY THE HEADLINE FOR THIS EVENING. SO THAT’S WHY WE HAVE IT AS AN ALERT PERIOD. BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME COLD WARNING, WHICH WE’LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN JUST A MOMENT. BUT WE ALSO HAVE STRONG WINDS UPWARDS OF 55MPH, HAD SOME AREAS GUSTING BEYOND THE 50 MILE PER HOUR, 50 MILE PER HOUR MARK. STILL GOING TO BE SEEING SUBZERO MORNING WIND CHILLS FOR YOUR SUNDAY, BUT THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH LATE INTO THE EVENING AND THEN LOOKING AHEAD INTO NEXT WEEK. WE ARE WARMER, BUT IT WILL BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE ACTIVE AS WE’RE TRACKING A COUPLE OF DISTURBANCES THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. SO EXTREME COLD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 A.M. SUNDAY. IN ADDITION TO THE EXTREME COLD WARNING, A WIND ADVISORY WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 P.M. THIS EVENING, SO WINDS ARE GOING TO PERSIST THROUGH THE REST OF THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. YOU CAN SEE TEMPERATURES INTO THE MID TEENS RIGHT AROUND 16 IN HARRISBURG, BUT STILL HAVE THAT PERSISTENT BREEZE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST BETWEEN 15 AND 25MPH. AND THAT’S WHAT’S MAKING IT FEEL LIKE THE SUBZERO CONDITIONS OUTSIDE, FOLKS. SO THAT’S WHY YOU NEED TO STAY INSIDE. YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE WINDS TODAY. SUSTAINED WINDS ABOUT 30MPH IN LANCASTER AND HARRISBURG, A 51 MILE PER HOUR GUST RECORDED AT HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL. SO THAT’S WHY WE HAVE IT AS AN ALERT PERIOD. MAKE SURE YOU JUST STAY INSIDE, STAY WARM AS WE GO THROUGH THE REST OF TONIGHT. INTO TOMORROW. BUT WE’RE GOING TO CHAT MORE ABOUT THAT FULL FORECAST AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME POTENTIAL RAIN AND SOME SNOW MIX COMING UP HERE IN THE FULL FORECAST IN A FEW MINUTES. MCKENNA. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, RYAN. SEE YOU THEN. WELL, RIGHT NOW THERE ARE SEVERAL CODE BLUE ALERTS IN PLACE ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, ALLOWING HOMELESS SHELTERS TO EXTEND THEIR HOURS AND BRING IN MORE PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THIS EXTREME COLD. THE LANCASTER AND LEBANON COUNTY HOMELESSNESS COALITION’S HAVE ISSUED CODE BLUE ALERTS, LIFEPATH CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES IN YORK HAS ALSO ISSUED A CODE BLUE ALERT. YOU CAN FIND THE INFORMATION FOR EACH SHELTER ONLINE AT DOT COM, AND STAY WITH US ON AIR AND ONLINE THROUGHOUT THIS DANGEROUS COLD, SO WE CAN KEEP YOU UPDATED WITH THE LATEST CONDITIONS ONLINE. YOU CAN ALSO FIND TIPS ABOUT HOW TO STAY SAFE IN THESE TEMPERATURES, AND WHAT TO DO IF YOUR HEAT OR POWER GOES OUT. NEW TONIGHT THE LANCASTER COUNTY CORONER RESPONDED TO A FARM RELATED ACCIDENT INVOLVING A TWO YEAR OLD CHILD. DISPATCHERS SAY THE CHILD WAS HIT IN UPPER LEACOCK TOWNSHIP JUST AFTER 830 THIS MORNING. THIS HAPPENED ON NEWPORT ROAD NEAR MONTEREY ROAD. EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING. ALSO NEW TONIGHT CHAMBERSBURG POLICE ARRESTED A MAN FOR SHOOTING THAT HAPPENED JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. POLICE SAY THEY RESPONDED TO SOUTH HACKBERRY DRIVE FOR A REPORT OF SHOTS FIRED. ACCORDING TO POLICE, THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT NATHANIEL STEPHENS TRIED TO SHOOT THE VICTIM. THEY SAY STEPHENS MISSED THE VICTIM, BUT THE BULLET DID HIT A HOME WITH TWO PEOPLE INSIDE. HOMICIDE. EACH YEAR, ROUGHLY 17,000 PEOPLE ARE RELEASED FROM STATE PRISONS IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND ADJUSTING TO LIFE OUTSIDE INCARCERATION CAN BE TOUGH FOR SOME AND THEIR FAMILIES. THAT’S WHY TONIGHT IN YORK COUNTY, A PROGRAM TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS ADJUST TO LIFE AFTER PRISON IS EXPANDING. THE PROGRAM IS CALLED TRANSITIONS IN CARE AND IS RUN IN PART BY FAMILY FIRST HEALTH. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO HEALTH CARE AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH PROVIDING FOOD, CLOTHING, AND TRANSPORTATION TO APPOINTMENTS. A PROGRAM LIKE THIS IS CRITICAL IN EVERY COMMUNITY. AS WE SAID, THIS IS A REALLY VULNERABLE TIME, AND IT’S EITHER GOING TO BE A TIME WHERE FOLKS WILL FIND THEMSELVES BACK IN SITUATIONS THAT MAY MAKE THEM VULNERABLE TO RE-OFFENDING, HAVING OTHER CHALLENGES, OR WHAT WE LIKE TO WORK TOWARDS IS A SUCCESSFUL REENTRY. SUPPORTED BY THIS PROGRAM, AND FAMILY FIRST HEALTH WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT ANOTHER 60 THIS YEAR IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. PUT OUT THIS FIRE IN LURGAN TOWNSHIP YESTERDAY. THE PLEASANT HALL VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY SAID THE FIRE STARTED ON ROXBURY ROAD AROUND 10:00 IN THE MORNING. THEY SAY CREWS WERE THERE FOR ABOUT 2.5 HOURS BEFORE CLEARING THE SCENE. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO ONE INSIDE THE HOME WHEN THE FIRE STARTED, BUT THE RED CROSS WAS ASKED TO HELP ONE PERSON. THE FIRE COMPANY SAYS THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A PROPANE HEATER THAT WAS TOO CLOSE TO COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL. SO THEY WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST THREE FEET OF SPACE AROUND A PORTABLE HEATING UNIT. AND IN ADAMS COUNTY, IT TOOK CREWS ABOUT AN HOUR TO PUT OUT A FIRE AT A HOME IN UNION TOWNSHIP TODAY. THIS AFTERNOON. DISPATCHERS SAY IT HAPPENED ON HOSTETTER ROAD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND THE RED CROSS WAS NOT CALLED. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. PRESIDENT TRUMP RESPONDED TO OUTRAGE OVER A SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO THAT WAS WIDELY DENOUNCED AS RACIST. THE PRESIDENT SHARED THE VIDEO IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POST THAT WAS LATER TAKEN DOWN. THE CLIP WAS LARGELY ABOUT ELECTION CONSPIRACY THEORIES, BUT IN ITS FINAL SECONDS, IT FLIPS TO A DEPICTION OF FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND HIS WIFE MICHELLE AS PRIMATES IN A JUNGLE. NEWS 8 WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT JACKIE DEFUSCO REPORTS. PRESIDENT TRUMP TOLD REPORTERS LAST NIGHT THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE PART OF THE VIDEO THAT DEPICTED THE OBAMAS AS APES BEFORE IT WAS POSTED TO HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT. AND DESPITE THE BIPARTISAN BACKLASH, HE DID NOT OFFER AN APOLOGY. A NUMBER OF REPUBLICANS ARE CALLING ON YOU TO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT POST. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU’RE GOING TO DO? NO, I DIDN’T MAKE A MISTAKE. I MEAN, IF I LOOK AT A LOT OF THOUSANDS OF THINGS AND I LOOKED AT THE BEGINNING OF IT, IT WAS FINE. MR. PRESIDENT. DO YOU CONDEMN THE RACIST PARTS OF THE VIDEO? OF COURSE I DID. PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO SAID THAT HE SPOKE TO REPUBLICAN SENATOR TIM SCOTT ABOUT THE SITUATION. SCOTT, WHO IS BLACK, RESPONDED TO THE VIDEO EARLIER ON FRIDAY, WRITING, QUOTE, PRAYING IT WAS FAKE BECAUSE IT’S THE MOST RACIST THING I’VE SEEN OUT OF THIS WHITE HOUSE. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY CAROLINE LEAVITT INITIALLY DEFENDED THE CLIP. SHE SAID IT DEPICTED SEVERAL DEMOCRATS AS CHARACTERS FROM THE LION KING, ADDING IN A STATEMENT, QUOTE, PLEASE STOP THE FAKE OUTRAGE AND REPORT ON SOMETHING TODAY THAT ACTUALLY MATTERS TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. THE WHITE HOUSE LATER REMOVED THE POST AND SAID A STAFFER POSTED IT ERRONEOUSLY. AN OBA
Sen. Fetterman expresses ‘deep concern, opposition’ to ICE’s recently purchased Pa. warehouses
Updated: 8:14 PM EST Feb 7, 2026
Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to convert two recently purchased warehouse facilities in Schuylkill and Berks counties into detention centers. Video above: Top stories, weather from WGAL News 8. Days after the plans were revealed, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, expressing “deep concern and opposition” with the project. “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 said, in part. He also said he was concerned DHS bought these properties without considering water access, increased demand on electrical grids, local law enforcement capacity and proximity to medical facilities. Fetterman said the acquisition of these facilities by the federal government represents a loss of over $1.6 million in local tax revenue per year. He also requested that DHS and ICE provide him with the following before moving forward with the projects: “A briefing for my office on the criteria used to select viable properties for conversion into ICE detention centers, including specific details on the decision to purchase the Tremont and Upper Bern Twp. properties.” “A detailed impact assessment addressing infrastructure, public safety, public health, economic development, and fiscal concerns for these communities.””A commitment that federal funds will cover all necessary infrastructure upgrades and ongoing costs associated with these facilities.””A commitment to a period of public engagement and dialogue with these communities.”Fetterman also said he fears DHS and ICE “did not perform any due diligence” when “spending more than $200 million in tax dollars for warehouses that cannot be adequately converted and further eroding trust between Pennsylvanians and the Federal government.”You can read Fetterman’s full letter here.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to convert two recently purchased warehouse facilities in Schuylkill and Berks counties into detention centers.
Video above: Top stories, weather from WGAL News 8.
Days after the plans were revealed, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, expressing “deep concern and opposition” with the project.
“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 said, in part.
He also said he was concerned DHS bought these properties without considering water access, increased demand on electrical grids, local law enforcement capacity and proximity to medical facilities.
Fetterman said the acquisition of these facilities by the federal government represents a loss of over $1.6 million in local tax revenue per year.
He also requested that DHS and ICE provide him with the following before moving forward with the projects:
“A briefing for my office on the criteria used to select viable properties for conversion into ICE detention centers, including specific details on the decision to purchase the Tremont and Upper Bern Twp. properties.” “A detailed impact assessment addressing infrastructure, public safety, public health, economic development, and fiscal concerns for these communities.””A commitment that federal funds will cover all necessary infrastructure upgrades and ongoing costs associated with these facilities.””A commitment to a period of public engagement and dialogue with these communities.”
Fetterman also said he fears DHS and ICE “did not perform any due diligence” when “spending more than $200 million in tax dollars for warehouses that cannot be adequately converted and further eroding trust between Pennsylvanians and the Federal government.”
You can read Fetterman’s full letter here.