BERKS COUNTY — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has canceled plans to convert warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties, Pennsylvania, into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser confirmed the cancellation on Friday.

The canceled facilities were planned for Upper Bern Township in Berks County and Tremont Township in Schuylkill County. Meuser, a Republican legislator, represents both of these townships. ICE had purchased properties in Pennsylvania earlier this year as part of a nationwide effort to convert former warehouses into detention facilities.

"My office has been informed directly that DHS, under the leadership of Secretary Markwayne Mullin, has advanced immigration enforcement plans that will not include the proposed detention or processing centers in Berks or Schuylkill counties," Meuser said. ICE purchased the Berks warehouse, a 527,000-square-foot building located at 3501 Mountain Road in Upper Bern Township, in late January for $87.4 million. Officials from ICE had stated that this warehouse would be renovated to hold 1,500 people and serve as a processing center.

The Schuylkill warehouse is a 1.3-million-square-foot former Big Lots distribution center in Tremont Township. ICE purchased this facility for $119 million. This location was planned to house up to 7,500 people as a detention center. "The careful review of the proposed sites and engagement with DHS played an important role throughout this process," Meuser said. His office will provide additional information on future plans for the sites as it becomes available.

Why It Matters

The decision by the Department of Homeland Security to cancel plans for ICE detention facilities in Berks and Schuylkill counties ends an initiative that involved property acquisitions in Pennsylvania. ICE had invested millions in purchasing these sites, with plans to establish large-scale processing and detention centers capable of housing thousands of individuals. The cancellation affects the future use of these properties and the federal strategy for immigration enforcement.