(WHTM) \u2014 The Shapiro administration warned the Department of Homeland Security it will not issue required permits for two immigration detention centers.<\/p>\n
In a Feb. 12 letter, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) urged DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to reconsider converting properties in Berks and Schuylkill counties into detention facilities. The governor admonished the department\u2019s immigration raids, writing its \u201crecord is reason enough to oppose your plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Close<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Watch for us in your inbox.<\/p>\n Subscribe Now<\/p>\n Shapiro said DHS has not worked with state and local authorities on the project, leading them to gather information from public reporting.<\/p>\n However, he zeroed in on what he said were environmental concerns the facilities would bring to the rural Pennsylvania communities hosting them. The facility in Tremont Township, Schuylkill County, would hold 7,500 detainees, and the one in Upper Bern Township, Berks County, would hold 1,500 detainees, according to reports cited in a separate letter by the state secretaries of environmental protection and health.<\/p>\n The Upper Bern Township facility, near Hamburg, would likely result in more than 14 times the legally permitted amount of waste water, Shapiro said. In Tremont Township, he said, the facility could require up to 800,000 gallons of water each day, double the system\u2019s current capacity.<\/p>\n \u201cThese facilities will also jeopardize the health and safety of Pennsylvanians who live nearby,\u201d the governor said.<\/p>\n Shapiro also shared concerns that the transfer of the properties would deprive the communities of property tax revenue. Before the purchase, the Upper Bern Township property was the Hamburg Logistics Center. The property in Tremont Township was previously a Big Lots distribution center.<\/p>\n U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) criticized the projects<\/a> after a Schuylkill County commissioner said the sale would cost the community $1 million each year in tax revenue.<\/p>\n Fetterman sole Senate Democrat to support Homeland Security funding bill as shutdown looms <\/a><\/p>\n Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of public affairs for DHS, defended the purchases in a statement to abc27 News. She said the two facilities would bring in more than 10,000 jobs and add billions to the GDP and tax revenues while accomplishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s goal to remove undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds.<\/p>\n \u201cThese will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards,\u201d McLaughlin said. \u201cSites will undergo community impact studies and a rigorous due diligence process to make sure there is no hardship on local utilities or infrastructure prior to purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the governor\u2019s full letter below:<\/p>\n 2.12.2026 Shapiro ICE Letter to Noem DHS<\/a>Download<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n