US Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-9) says he plans to bring Schuylkill and Berks county officials together with the Dept. of Homeland Security to address their concerns over planned ICE detention and processing centers in the area.
He also promises that he’ll ensure DHS provides transparency about its plans for the facilities and that they “operate responsibly and in a manner that is not overly intrusive to our community.”
Last week, the US government purchased the former Big Lots Distribution Center in Tremont Township for $119 million with plans on turning it into a 7,500-bed ICE detention center. It would be one of the largest ICE detention centers in the country.
An empty warehouse in Upper Bern Township, Berks County, was also purchased by the federal government. Meuser says that facility will be a processing center.
After news broke last week that the federal government had completed the sale of the property in Schuylkill County, officials from Tremont Township and County government told the public they hadn’t been contacted by federal officials prior to the sales being completed.
Frustrations mounted among them and the public who wanted to know what the plans were for the former distribution center.
Chief among the concerns in Schuylkill County, at least, is the lack of infrastructure – namely water and sewer – to handle what the government plans at the ICE detention center.
Schuylkill County Commissioners said last week that the sewer and water infrastructure can’t handle what ICE is proposing there.
Meuser says in a statement released first to Coal Region Canary that he shares those same concerns.
“These recent developments have raised serious concerns, and I share many of the same questions being raised by local officials and residents. I have already met with DHS officials and spoken with elected leaders in both Schuylkill and Berks Counties, and we will continue those discussions this week as we work to get clear answers,” Meuser says.
“Outstanding questions include water and sewage capacity, utility usage, transportation impacts, security considerations, potential impacts on local tax revenue, and the overall operational plan,” the Congressman adds.
Meuser says he will convene a meeting with Schuylkill, Berks, and Dept. of Homeland Security officials to “address these issues directly and ensure transparency moving forward.”
Further, Meuser blames the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration for their immigration policy that he says makes these ICE detention and processing centers a necessity.
“During the Biden-Harris Administration, perhaps more than 15 million illegal immigrants unlawfully entered the United States, and there is reason to believe that as many as 1 million may have crossed our borders with criminal records,” Meuser says. “That reality has placed significant strain on our immigration system, resulting in detention and processing centers becoming a reality in many communities, including our own. Regardless of the circumstances, we will continue to monitor these facilities and provide oversight to ensure they operate responsibly and in a manner that is not overly intrusive to our community.”
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