UPPER BERN TWP., Pa. — Plans to convert two local warehouses into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers have officially been scrapped, according to Gov. Shapiro.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will no longer move forward with transforming the warehouses located in Upper Bern Township, Berks County, and Tremont Township, Schuylkill County, into holding facilities, the governor said in a Facebook post.
The debate over the proposed detention centers had been ongoing in the state for several months.
Community leaders react after proposed ICE detention center plans are canceled
I’ve said from the beginning: these warehouses should not be used as ICE detention centers. They’re not suitable for people — and converting them to detention centers would have posed serious risks to the health, safety, and infrastructure of the surrounding communities,” Shapiro said.
Further details regarding the future use of the DHS-owned warehouse properties have not yet been released.