Lehigh Valley community members are publicly opposing the establishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities in the area, urging industrial property owners not to sell warehouses for use as immigration detention centers.<\/p>\n
In a Feb. 6 letter<\/a>, two dozen Lehigh County officials, school board directors and Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk asked property owners to refrain from selling to ICE. The appeal follows ICE\u2019s purchase of a 64-acre warehouse<\/a> in neighboring Berks County in early February.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lehigh County Commissioner Jon Irons, who signed the letter, said efforts across the country have shown that pressuring warehouses can be effective in preventing ICE from acquiring properties. While local officials can\u2019t control whether a private business sells to the Department of Homeland Security, they can make clear their position and outline the potential impact of such a sale, he said.<\/p>\n The letter states: \u201cICE detention facilities have a well-documented history of serious human rights concerns, including inadequate medical care, allegations of abuse and deaths in custody; a reprehensible record of cruelty. The establishment of such a facility in Lehigh County would stand in direct opposition to the values of dignity, humanity and mutual respect that define our region.\u201d<\/p>\n Baylee Baker, \u201828, the president of Lehigh College Democrats, said the letter is a step in the right direction but questioned why Tuerk was the only Lehigh Valley mayor to sign.<\/p>\n \u201cIt brings into question why the mayors of Bethlehem and Easton didn\u2019t sign the letter when so many of their constituents are at risk of this issue,\u201d Baker said.\u00a0<\/p>\n