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Everything you need to know about ICE's plan to open a detention center in Berks County [View all]
Spotlight PA link: https://www.spotlightpa.org/berks/2026/02/ice-warehouse-immigration-berks-county-hamburg-plans-federal-government/
UPPER BERN — The Trump administration this week finalized the $87.4 million purchase of a warehouse in Berks County that a member of Congress says will be used as an ICE processing and detention facility.
What do we know about the warehouse?
The warehouse at 3501 Mountain Road has never been used, but it was initially designed and constructed as a commercial facility. The property is located in an area of Upper Bern Township that is zoned for industrial development.
Transwestern Development Company completed construction in 2021 and later sold the warehouse to PCCP, a national commercial real estate equity firm, for $57.5 million. Since it was built and placed on the market, the property has remained vacant while generating about $199,620 annually in county property taxes, $31,229 in township taxes, and $597,110 for the Hamburg Area School District.
A marketing brochure for the Hamburg Logistics Center describes the warehouse as a “state-of-the-art logistics center” designed for large-scale distribution operations.
Why did ICE purchase the warehouse?
ICE recently purchased warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, but the agency has not publicly shared any specifics about how it plans to use them.
However, U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican who represents part of the county, told NOTUS and Spotlight PA, “It will be a processing facility and a detention facility.” He said he spoke to Trump administration officials on Tuesday.
Internal documents obtained by multiple local and national news outlets show a broad push by the Trump administration to acquire commercial warehouses as part of a plan to expand detention across the country, an effort funded by $45 billion approved by Congress through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The nearly 520,000-square-foot warehouse, previously known as the Hamburg Logistics Center, is one of 23 locations ICE plans to redevelop into a mass detention facility, according to reporting from Bloomberg. The outlet reported it could hold up to 1,500 people.
This story will be updated as Spotlight PA learns more....
- more at link -
What do we know about the warehouse?
The warehouse at 3501 Mountain Road has never been used, but it was initially designed and constructed as a commercial facility. The property is located in an area of Upper Bern Township that is zoned for industrial development.
Transwestern Development Company completed construction in 2021 and later sold the warehouse to PCCP, a national commercial real estate equity firm, for $57.5 million. Since it was built and placed on the market, the property has remained vacant while generating about $199,620 annually in county property taxes, $31,229 in township taxes, and $597,110 for the Hamburg Area School District.
A marketing brochure for the Hamburg Logistics Center describes the warehouse as a “state-of-the-art logistics center” designed for large-scale distribution operations.
Why did ICE purchase the warehouse?
ICE recently purchased warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, but the agency has not publicly shared any specifics about how it plans to use them.
However, U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican who represents part of the county, told NOTUS and Spotlight PA, “It will be a processing facility and a detention facility.” He said he spoke to Trump administration officials on Tuesday.
Internal documents obtained by multiple local and national news outlets show a broad push by the Trump administration to acquire commercial warehouses as part of a plan to expand detention across the country, an effort funded by $45 billion approved by Congress through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The nearly 520,000-square-foot warehouse, previously known as the Hamburg Logistics Center, is one of 23 locations ICE plans to redevelop into a mass detention facility, according to reporting from Bloomberg. The outlet reported it could hold up to 1,500 people.
This story will be updated as Spotlight PA learns more....
How many illegal immigrants do they think they're going to find in eastern Pennsylvania?
3 replies
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