WASHINGTON — Federal plans to convert warehouses into immigration detention centers across the country have mostly faced fierce opposition, according to the Associated Press, as communities nationwide push back against the expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.
In Tremont, Pennsylvania, a town of roughly 2,000 residents, the Department of Homeland Security purchased a vacant warehouse two miles down Tremont’s main street to house up to 7,500 detainees, a move that has raised concerns about how the community could support a population nearly four times its size, according to The New York Times.
“We don’t need that,” said Tom Pribilla, a local hardware store owner. “The community, the area, is not going to be able to absorb the costs.”
Residents have pointed out that the area has limited infrastructure available, with The New York Times reporting that the town has no hospital and no independent police force and has had water shortages so severe that trucks have at times hauled water in to keep the taps from running dry.
“Don’t just throw it in our backyard and say, ‘This is where it is, now you got to deal with it,’” said Roger Adams, a borough council member, criticizing what he described as a lack of consultation from federal officials.
According to the Associated Press, federal officials have already spent $1.074 billion for 11 warehouses as part of a continued effort to expand detention capacity to support increased immigration enforcement. DHS has acknowledged that it is reviewing those plans, stating “as with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals.”
The Associated Press further reported that across multiple states, local officials have raised similar concerns. In Georgia, officials warned that a facility housing up to 10,000 detainees could overwhelm infrastructure, with reported federal plans including bringing in drinking water by truck and transporting waste out of the area. In Michigan, a lawsuit argued that the sewage system could not keep up if 500 people are detained inside.
In Tennessee, local officials opposed expansion plans despite aligning politically with most federal immigration priorities. Sheriff Robert Bryan warned that a facility of the scale proposed would “significantly impact local law enforcement resources.” At the same time, Mayor Rick Bell said that, although he supports a secure border, his town “is not the place.”
In Salt Lake City, Utah, local leaders have also urged federal officials to halt plans for a large-scale detention facility. DHS purchased a warehouse there for $145.4 million, with the potential to house up to 10,000 detainees, according to the Utah News Dispatch.
“I respectfully urge the Department of Homeland Security to reconsider and abandon this proposed site,” wrote Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson.
Wilson said that “at a basic level, this facility is not suitable to house what has been reported could be up to 10,000 detainees,” and warned that the proposal “raises serious concerns related to infrastructure capacity, public safety, correctional staffing, economic development, and the appropriate role of state and local government.”
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall similarly opposed the project, stating that officials are working to show “why this is not an appropriate place for any ICE facility.”
The Associated Press reported that DHS has since paused the purchase of new warehouses to review policies enacted under former leadership, with Secretary Markwayne Mullin seeking to defuse backlash from local jurisdictions.
Despite that review, uncertainty remains about whether previously acquired sites will move forward.
In Tremont, residents have continued to question their ability to influence federal decision-making.
“We can have our little groups and we can sit and complain about it,” Pribilla said. “But how much power do we actually have to stop the federal government?”
The response across these communities highlights a growing divide between federal immigration enforcement efforts and local concerns, as residents in both conservative and liberal areas raise serious objections to the scale and impact of proposed detention facilities.
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