Pennsylvania’s senior U.S. senator, John Fetterman, reiterated support for immigration enforcement operations last week, but in a letter to the Homeland Security secretary, he raised concerns about the purchase of two warehouses for planned detention centers along with the potential impact on local infrastructure and finances in two adjacent counties.

The Department of Homeland Security purchased an unused warehouse in Berks County for approximately $87 million, according to Spotlight PA. A second warehouse in Schuylkill County, once home to a Big Lots distribution center, was purchased for an additional $119.5 million, according to the Republican Herald in Pottsville.

kAmu6EE6C>2?’D =6EE6C E@ $64C6E2CJ zC:DE: }@6> D2JD E96 724:=:E:6D H@F=5 36 C6EC@7:EE65 E@ 9@=5 2? 6DE:>2E65 `[d__ :>>:8C2E:@? 56E2:?66D 😕 E96 D:E6 😕 &AA6C q6C? %@H?D9:A[ q6C@?E %@H?D9:A[ $49FJ=<:== r@F?EJ]k^Am

kAm{@42= 2?5 DE2E6 @77:4:2=D 925 ?@ :?AFE @? 6:E96C AFC492D6[ u6EE6C>2? D2:5[ =625:?8 E@ 2 D4C2>3=6 7@C 2?DH6CD 2?5 AC6A2C2E:@? 7@C E96 A=2??65 6DE23=:D9>6?E @7 EH@ “=2C86\D42=6 56E6?E:@? @A6C2E:@?D]”k^Am

kAm%2<:?8 E96 AC:G2E6 AC@A6CE:6D @77 E96 >2C<6E 2?5 :?E@ E96 A@DD6DD:@? @7 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E H@F=5 42FD6 2 4@>3:?65 =@DD @7 >@C6 E92? S`]e >:==:@? 😕 =@42= E2I C6G6?F6 😕 E96 EH@ 4@F?E:6D[ u6EE6C>2? D2:5]k^Am

kAm“(9:=6 x 92G6 366? 4=62C 😕 >J DFAA@CE 7@C E96 6?7@C46>6?E @7 7656C2= :>>:8C2E:@? =2H[ E9:D 564:D:@? H:== 5@ D:8?:7:42?E 52>286 E@ E96D6 =@42= E2I 32D6D[ D6E 324< 564256D\=@?8 677@CED E@ 3@@DE 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E[ 2?5 A=246 F?5F6 3FC56?D @? =:>:E65 6I:DE:?8 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 😕 E96D6 4@>>F?:E:6D[” u6EE6C>2? HC@E6]k^Am

kAmu6EE6C>2? C6:E6C2E65 4@?46C?D C2:D65 3J =@42=D 2?5 5@4F>6?E65 3J >F=E:A=6 >65:2 @C82?:K2E:@?Di p56BF2E6 2446DD 2?5 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 6IA2?5 6I:DE:?8 H2E6C 2?5 D6H286 DJDE6>D[ :?4C62D65 56>2?5 @? =@42= 6=64EC:42= 8C:5D[ E96 42A24:EJ 7@C =@42= =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 2?5 t|$ E@ C6DA@?5 E@ :?4:56?ED 2E E96 C6DA64E:G6 724:=:E:6DV C6>@E6 =@42E:@? E@ >65:42= 724:=:E:6D]k^Am

kAmq@E9 sw$ 2?5 x>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 rFDE@>D t?7@C46>6?E 72:=65 E@ AC@A6C=J 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 =@42=D 2D E@ 9@H E96D6 ?665D 4@F=5 36 >6E[ u6EE6C>2? D2:5[ 2?5 E96 C6DF=E:?8 3FC56? @? E96 =@42= E2I 32D6 2?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 H@F=5 36 “H:=5=J :CC6DA@?D:3=6]”k^Am

kAm“}6:E96C %C6>@?E %HA] ?@C &AA6C q6C? %HA] 4FCC6?E=J 92G6 E96 42A24:EJ E@ >66E E96D6 56>2?5D] x? E96 42D6 @7 %C6>@?E %HA] DA64:7:42==J[ =@42= @77:4:2=D 92G6 D2:5 E92E E96 AC@A@D65 f[d__\365 56E6?E:@? 724:=:EJ H@F=5 BF25CFA=6 E96 6I:DE:?8 3FC56? @? E96:C AF3=:4 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 DJDE6>[” u6EE6C>2? HC@E6]k^Am

kAmu6EE6C>2? 42==65 @? sw$ 2?5 xrt E@ 563C:67 9:D @77:46 @? E96 AC@46DD E@ :56?E:7J 2?5 @3E2:? E96 EH@ H2C69@FD6Dj AC@G:56 2 56E2:=65 :>A24E 2?2=JD:D @? =@42= :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ AF3=:4 962=E9[ 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 E2I :>A=:42E:@?Dj A=6586 E@ 4@G6C 2== 4@DED ?646DD2CJ E@ 4@>A=6E6 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 FA8C256Dj AF3=:4=J 6?8286 2?5 5:D4FDD E96 A=2?D H:E9 C6D:56?ED @7 E96 =@42= 4@>>F?:E:6D]k^Am