When news broke last week that the federal government had bought a large warehouse property in Berks County, it left local residents searching for answers.
What will the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency do with the 527,000-square-foot building in Upper Bern Township? How will the federal government’s $87.4 million purchase of the 62-acre Upper Bern Township property impact the surrounding community?
When will the facility be up and running? How long will it be in operation?
Federal and state officials, who said they had no prior knowledge of the sale, had many of the same questions. And, at this point, answers have proven to be few and far between.
The same is true for a second Pennsylvania site in Schuylkill County, with ICE recently purchasing a 1.3-million-square-foot former Big Lots distribution center in Tremont Township for more than $119 million.
The federal government is buying the former Big Lots distribution center in Tremont Township, Schuylkill County, with plans to turn the site into an ICE processing facility. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
Both Pennsylvania facilities sit within the state’s 9th Congressional District, which includes parts or all of 12 counties stretching from northern Berks to the New York state line.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican who represents the district, has told media outlets that he spoke to the Trump administration last Tuesday, the day after deeds were recorded for both the Berks and Schuylkill properties.
Meuser said he was told each would be an ICE processing and detention facility.
The Berks facility is reportedly slated to hold up to 1,500 undocumented immigrants awaiting deportation, while the Schuylkill site is expected to hold 7,500.
Meuser told media outlets that Trump officials did not answer all of his questions.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., speaks before President Donald Trump arrives at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mt. Pocono, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP)
“A lot of the details we’re going to get to the bottom of, as far as how many people are going to be detained there, what the capacity is, how many new employees, and all the other things that, all the details that really matter to our community,” Meuser told Spotlight PA. “We’re just going to make sure it goes as well as possible. It’s a decision [the Department of Homeland Security] made, and we’re, you know, we just got to work with them.”
Meuser said he would have discussions with county commissioners and state representatives “to fill them in on everything” he is aware of.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman also recently addressed the ICE property purchases.
In a statement released Saturday, he expressed deep concern and opposition to the Trump administration’s plan to convert the warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties into ICE detention centers.
Fetterman said he was displeased with the proposed conversion of the facilities, without input from local or state officials, into detention centers. Both townships do not currently have the capacity to meet the demands of these detention centers, he said, with Tremont Township officials specifically stating the proposed 7,500-bed detention facility would quadruple the existing burden on their public infrastructure system.
In a letter sent to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday, the Allegheny County Democrat demanded more information about the centers.
“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 decadeslong efforts to boost economic development and place undue burdens on limited existing infrastructure in these communities,” Fetterman wrote.
Fetterman 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. He said DHS bought these properties without considering adequate access to existing water and sewage systems, an increased demand on electrical grids, local law enforcement capacity and proximity to medical facilities.
Fetterman also pointed out that the acquisition of these facilities by the federal government represents a total loss of over $1.6 million in local tax revenue per year.
FILE – Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., participates in a debate, June 2, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
“This loss of vital tax dollars compounds concerns over the ability of these municipalities to meet the infrastructure needs of these facilities and would place undue strain upon the budgets of local governments and school districts in the region,” he wrote.
Fetterman requested that DHS and ICE provide the following:
• A briefing for his 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 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.
Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a visit by his administration to the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston Twp. on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
At the state level, Gov. Josh Shapiro also addressed ICE’s plans to create detention centers in Pennsylvania, specifically the one in Upper Bern Township.
During a press conference Friday in Philadelphia, Shapiro said he’s strongly opposed to the purchase of the warehouse being used for an ICE detention center.
“We are exploring what legal options we may have to stop it,” he said. “I think those options are fairly slim, given that the federal government is the purchaser.”
But, he said, he’s been heartened by the fact that Berks County Commissioners Chairman Christian Leinbach and other local officials have spoken out against the plans for the facility.
“This is not what we need in Berks County,” he said. “This is not what we need anywhere in Pennsylvania. And I think the secretive way in which the federal government went about this undermines the trust with the people of Pennsylvania here.”
Shapiro said government officials must work closely with the community to build trust, not to do “these kinds of shady deals that end up eroding the trust.”
He added that he hopes Upper Bern Township officials, who will likely have some permitting power, can stop the federal government from building the facility. He said his administration will be working closely with those local partners on that front to see if it can be stopped.
State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, a Reading Democrat who serves as chairwoman of the Legislative Latino Caucus, said the decision to establish a detention center risks provoking fear, disrupting families and endangering the well-being of people — regardless of their citizenship status.
“While many questions remain about the scope and operations of this proposed facility, I will continue to use every tool available to demand transparency, protect due process and stand with our most vulnerable neighbors,” she said.
The Upper Bern Township warehouse is about 20 miles from downtown Reading.
Cepeda-Freytiz encouraged residents to remain engaged and informed as more details emerge.
“I urge community members to stay connected, participate in public conversations and make their voices heard by demanding accountability and oversight from decision-makers,” she said. “We must also support trusted local organizations that provide legal information, family support and community resources so that no one is left to navigate this alone.”