In a display of community unity, over 100 concerned citizens gathered at a local fire hall in Schuylkill County to voice their opposition against a proposed immigrant processing center. The potential conversion of a former Big Lots warehouse into a detention center has sparked significant backlash among residents.
Jennifer Devine, a resident and Amazon warehouse employee, expressed her concerns, stating, “I’m a mom, and I’m a grandma, and like many of you, I’m here tonight because I oppose the United States federal government taking over the Big Lots warehouse and turning it into an immigration detention center. I am outraged, not just due to the fact that the United States federal government picked this location … but outraged this is happening at all, anywhere.”
Borys Krawczeniuk
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WVIA News
The meeting, hosted by Democratic congressional candidate Rachel Wallace at Newtown Volunteer Fire Co., became a platform for residents to discuss their opposition and ways to prevent the center from materializing. Though tensions occasionally flared over federal immigration policies, the community largely united in their efforts to stop the proposal.
Borys Krawczeniuk
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WVIA News
What’s in the works
While Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not confirmed plans to use the expansive 1.3 million square foot site in Tremont Twp. for processing detainees, speculation arose from a Washington Post report detailing a broader strategy to convert warehouses into detention centers. The report, based on internal ICE documents, outlines a plan to create processing centers for up to 1,500 detainees each, eventually transferring individuals to even larger facilities.
Choosing Tremont Twp.
The potential location for one such center came into focus after the Tremont Township tax collector received a query about the warehouse’s tax status from a public records company. The inquiry suggested a settlement date and named the United States of America as the prospective buyer, though no official deed has been recorded to confirm the sale.
County Commissioner Gary Hess expressed concern over the financial impact, noting the loss of approximately $1 million in property taxes if the federal purchase proceeds, as federal properties are exempt from such taxes.
Battling the plan
Congressman Dan Meuser, whose constituency includes the warehouse, has sought further clarification from ICE. Meanwhile, Wallace encouraged residents to engage with their representatives, highlighting that the unrecorded deed means the decision is not final.
“We still have a say, and I hope that’s why you’re here, because you deserve to have a say,” Wallace told the audience.
The taxes on the line
Hess and state Rep. Joanne Stehr addressed the potential financial repercussions of the sale, emphasizing the already substantial local infrastructure supporting various correctional facilities. Hess remarked, “I don’t think this is not good for the county at all. Number one, it’s not good financially.”
Borys Krawczeniuk
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WVIA News
Hess also raised concerns about a daycare center located nearby, questioning the prudence of situating a detention facility so close to children.
No division, no violence allowed
Rep. Stehr emphasized the need for civility, stating, “There will be no ICE violence and everything else like that, and anti-protesters and stuff like that.” Drawing from her background as a healthcare worker, she expressed empathy for immigrant families while criticizing the current administration’s immigration policies as ineffective.
Audience bristles
Stehr’s comments prompted a wave of responses from attendees, some arguing the forum was becoming too politically charged. Despite the heated exchanges, the focus remained on opposing the proposed center.
The heart of the issue
Concerns about public safety and the potential impact on local law enforcement resources were raised. Carmella, a local resident, highlighted the absence of a local police force, relying on state police instead. Her husband, Earl, worried about the implications for a nearby nursing home where many immigrants are employed.
Borys Krawczeniuk
/
WVIA News
“My biggest concern is we do have some immigrants who work in the nursing home. Are they (ICE) going to barge into our facility, try and raid our facility, being that they don’t need warrants now, and scare the living daylights out of every resident that is in that facility,” Earl said.
Stick to the point
Despite divergent opinions on broader immigration policies, the meeting concluded with a shared commitment to preserving the community’s resources and opposing the detention center’s establishment. As the Rev. Brian Beissel remarked, “We’ve already been through so much. This is another thing to throw on top of us.”
“I have been a resident of this county my whole life. I have coal miners’ blood running through my veins. I have seen how other outside sources come into this area, take our resources, use what we have, and then leave us high and dry,” Beissel said.
“I don’t trust the federal government one bit to do anything else.”
