Gov. Josh Shapiro visited the Berks County Agriculture Center in Bern Township on Thursday to provide an update on proposed federal immigration detention facilities in Berks and Schuylkill counties, reiterating his opposition and saying the state will use its legal and regulatory authority to try to stop the projects.
The meeting brought together local elected officials and community leaders from both counties, along with state agency heads including Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen, Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker and leaders from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Speaking during a press conference following the meeting, Shapiro said the federal government made plans for two large U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers without advance notice to state or local leaders. State officials said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security purchased commercial warehouses and intends to convert them into detention facilities.
According to Shapiro, concerns raised during the meeting included economic effects, questions about who would run the facilities and whether detainees’ rights would be protected.
“I want to be very clear: I don’t want either of these sites here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said. “I intend to use every tool at my disposal to stop these facilities from coming here.”
State officials said DHS has proposed a detention center in Upper Bern Township in Berks County that public reports indicate could hold up to 1,500 people — a change they said would effectively double the township’s population. A second proposed facility in Tremont Township, Schuylkill County, could hold up to 7,500 people.
During the meeting and in a related state release, officials pointed to infrastructure limitations as a central concern. The administration said the Berks County proposal could generate up to 14 times the legally permitted amount of sewage for local systems, while the Tremont facility could require as much as 800,000 gallons of water per day — more than double the system’s current capacity.
Shapiro echoed those concerns, warning that existing water systems in Schuylkill County are already strained and could be unable to meet demand if the facility is built.
The governor also cited potential pressure on healthcare systems, noting workforce shortages and the possibility that staffing needs at the detention centers could divert personnel from local facilities.
State officials said emergency services could also be affected. Upper Bern Township relies on a volunteer fire department and Pennsylvania State Police coverage, while Tremont Township is served by limited ambulance and fire resources from surrounding communities.
The administration additionally raised economic concerns, estimating the Berks County facility could result in more than $800,000 annually in lost property tax revenue, including impacts to the county, township and Hamburg Area School District. The proposed Schuylkill County site could result in about $1 million annually in lost property tax revenue across local governments and the Pine Grove Area School District.
Earlier this month, Shapiro and members of his administration sent letters to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem outlining what they described as potential violations of Pennsylvania law and detailing anticipated impacts to surrounding communities.
“While the federal government ignores Pennsylvanians and their local leaders, I remain committed to protecting the interests of every resident of our Commonwealth,” Shapiro said in the release. “We do not want these detention centers in our communities – they pose serious health, safety, and economic risks to the people of Berks and Schuylkill counties. If the federal government continues to move forward with these plans, my Administration will aggressively pursue every option to prevent these facilities from opening and needlessly harming the good people of Pennsylvania.”
Agency leaders also outlined regulatory concerns.
“The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has serious concerns about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s plan to use warehouses across the Commonwealth to hold hundreds or thousands of people that these sites were never designed to accommodate,” DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley said, adding that the sites could exceed sewage limits and impact drinking water and fire protection.
Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen said workforce shortages in rural healthcare systems could make it difficult to provide care if thousands of additional people are housed in the facilities.
“Before housing thousands of people in these large facilities, the federal government needs to invest in creating the public safety and medical infrastructure necessary to provide quality care for people and staff at these proposed facilities and ensure services continue unaffected in the surrounding Berks and Schuylkill County communities,” Bogen said.
Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker said converting the warehouse sites to institutional use would trigger fire and life safety requirements under building codes and that the department has requested complete plans for review.
Shapiro said the state is examining permitting requirements and other regulatory processes that could affect whether the projects move forward, including approvals through the departments of Environmental Protection, Health and Labor & Industry.
He said bipartisan opposition from local officials remains strong and that the state will continue exploring legal and regulatory options.
“I am against these facilities,” Shapiro said. “I’m going to do everything in my legal power and my regulatory power to see to it these facilities are not sited here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”