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.
Speaking during a press conference following a meeting with local officials, Shapiro said the federal government made plans for the two large U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers without advance notice to state or local leaders.
“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.”
The governor said he met for about 90 minutes with county commissioners, lawmakers and local experts to discuss potential impacts. He described bipartisan opposition among local leaders and said many expressed frustration over what they viewed as a lack of transparency surrounding the proposals.
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.
He also pointed to infrastructure challenges, particularly water capacity in Schuylkill County. Shapiro said the Tremont water system currently serves about 700 households and would need to significantly expand to support a detention facility.
“If this is built, they will literally run out of water within 24 hours,” he said, adding that trucking water in and out would strain roads and wastewater systems.
Shapiro said local healthcare resources could also be stretched. He noted workforce shortages in nursing and other medical roles and warned that adding thousands of detainees could divert personnel from existing facilities or lead to inadequate care.
The governor further cited potential strain on emergency services, including volunteer fire companies, EMS providers and 911 systems. He said officials also raised questions about proposed use of a nearby airstrip and what infrastructure upgrades would be required.
Beyond infrastructure, Shapiro said local leaders voiced broader quality-of-life concerns and emphasized that opposition came from both Republican and Democratic officials.
“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.”
Shapiro said the state is reviewing regulatory options through agencies including the Pennsylvania departments of Environmental Protection, Health and Labor & Industry. While he did not outline specific actions, he said additional steps could be announced in the coming weeks.
When asked about human rights concerns raised by community advocates, Shapiro said he is “extremely concerned about human rights abuses that we’ve seen from ICE all across this country” and said those concerns were echoed by local officials during the meeting.
The governor also addressed economic arguments made by some federal officials and lawmakers who suggested the facilities could create jobs, saying Pennsylvania’s economy is already growing and that the projects could undermine local development.
Federal authorities have not publicly detailed timelines for the proposed facilities, and Shapiro said state officials have not received responses to some information requests.
He said the state will continue examining permitting requirements and other regulatory processes that could affect whether the projects move forward.
