Following his original letter to former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) today sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin reiterating his opposition to the proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in Pennsylvania.
“While I have been clear in my support for the enforcement of federal immigration law, this decision will do significant damage to these local tax bases, set back decades-long efforts to boost economic development, and place undue burdens on limited existing infrastructure in these communities,” wrote Senator Fetterman.
The proposed conversion of the facilities in Tremont Township and Upper Bern Township, without input from local or state officials, includes transforming them into 7,500- and 1,500-bed detention centers, respectively. Both townships do not currently have the capacity to meet the demands of these detention centers, with Tremont Township officials stating the proposed 7,500-bed detention facility would quadruple the existing burden on their public infrastructure system.
Detention facilities impose unique and substantial demands, particularly adequate access to existing water and sewage systems, an increased demand on local electrical grids, the capacity of local law enforcement and EMS, and proximity to appropriate medical facilities.
“Additionally, the acquisition of these facilities by the federal government represents a combined loss of over $1.6M in local tax revenue per year for Schuylkill and Berks counties. This loss of vital tax dollars compounds concerns over the ability of these municipalities to meet the infrastructure needs of these facilities and would place undue strain upon the budgets of local governments and school districts in the region,” continued the senator.
Read the full text of the letter here.