Concerns over water, sewer capacity, traffic and long-term tax impacts dominated a town hall Sunday as residents, community activists and local officials weighed the potential effects of a proposed ICE detention facility in Upper Bern Township.
The nonpartisan event was organized by the grassroots group ICE Out of Upper Bern, which opposes the use of a 527,000-square-foot warehouse on Mountain Road as a detention center that could house up to 1,500 people.
The Department of Homeland Secuirty’s plan would convert the warehouse into a processing center for migrants arrested by federal agents before their transfer to ICE detention centers.
The facility is one of 16 proposed processing centers, each with an expected population of 1,000 to 1,500 detainees whose stays would average three to seven days, according to a DHS document posted in February.
Another eight large-scale detention centers — like one planned for Tremont Township in Schuylkill County — would be capable of housing 7,000 to 10,000 detainees for periods averaging less than 60 days.
Plans call for all facilities to be operational by December.
About 175 residents and others gathered for the meeting at the Shartlesville Fire Company hall, which the group rented for the event.
For many of the speakers, the issue was less about national immigration policy than about whether local infrastructure, including water and sewer, could sustain a project of that scale.
A recent action by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ordered the federal government to demonstrate compliance with state water and sewage regulations before the facility can open.
ICE responds to Pa. DEP order for Upper Bern immigrant processing center site
Environmental advocate Gene Stilp walked attendees through the order in detail, emphasizing that permits have neither been secured nor applied for.
“DHS needs an amended construction permit and an amended operating permit,” Stilp said, noting the process could take a very long time.
Existing systems are inadequate for the projected population, he said, stating the site’s infrastructure could not handle what’s required for the proposed 1,500 detainees.
Gene Stilp speaks about the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection processes and Act 537 during an ICE Out of Upper Bern Town Hall at the Shartlesville Fire Company on Sunday, March 22, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Speakers said the limitations extend beyond utilities to emergency services and roads in the rural township.
Sue Leiby, a lifelong resident of Shartlesville, a village in Upper Bern, described a community with limited capacity to absorb such growth.
Leiby pointed to existing wear on local roads and warned that increased truck and service traffic would compound the problem.
“The township is struggling,” she said. “They do not have money in the infrastructure right now to do repairs on existing projects, let alone what’s going to be caused by added truck traffic.”
Traffic was a recurring theme throughout the meeting, with speakers drawing comparisons to congestion already caused by nearby warehouse development along Interstate 78 and Route 22.
Tina Burns, a Democratic candidate for state representative in the 124th District, asked residents to consider how additional vehicle volume would affect daily life.
“How many of you enjoy when there’s an accident on (Interstate) 78 and then reroute on Old Route 22?” she said. “Amazon alone brought up a mess of traffic.”
Burns also attempted to quantify the strain on municipal systems, noting the facility could more than double the population at the site and significantly increase water, sewer and waste service demands.
Tina Burns, candidate for the state 124th Legislative District, speaks about infrastructure and tax issues during an ICE Out of Upper Bern Town Hall at the Shartlesville Fire Company on Sunday, March 22, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Fiscal impact
Beyond infrastructure, speakers raised concerns about the fiscal impact on local governments and taxpayers.
Charles Corbit of the Berks Urgent Response Network said the project could generate ongoing costs without corresponding revenue, particularly if the federally owned property is removed from local tax rolls.
Corbit said the estimated losses total about $800,000.
“That’s every single year, that’s not just $800,000 once and done,” he said. “That’s going to be money out of the county, out of the people’s pockets here.”
Berks County Commissioner Dante Santoni Jr. echoed that concern, warning of a significant loss of revenue to the county, to the local community and to the school district.
The commissioners said in February that the loss in local tax dollars is estimated at $828,000 per year: $200,000 in county taxes, $31,000 in township taxes and $597,000 in Hamburg School District taxes
Although organizers said all three of the county commissioners were invited to speak, Santoni, a Democrat, was the only one to attend the meeting.
Berks County Commissioner Dante Santoni explains what the county can and cannot do to block the ICE detention warehouse during an ICE Out of Upper Bern Town Hall at the Shartlesville Fire Company on Sunday, March 22, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Other speakers included Linda Alspach Heckman, spokesperson for ICE Out of Upper Bern, and Rachel Wallace, Democratic candidate for U.S. representative in the 9th District.
Several speakers said federal spending on the facility would not have any local economic benefit.
Others warned that potential workforce disruptions and population shifts could affect local industries and consumer spending across Berks.
Burns criticized the initial $87.4 million purchase price and suggested taxpayers would ultimately bear the burden.
The ripple effects of the proposed center could extend beyond the township, Leiby said, noting that residents outside the immediate vicinity could feel the effects due to shared watershed systems and regional service networks.
Stay engaged
Despite the concerns, organizers emphasized that the project is not yet finalized and urged continued public engagement.
“There is an opportunity for us to stop this,” Corbit said, pointing to similar projects halted in other states through local opposition.
Charles Corbit of the Berks Urgent Response Network speaks about humanistic concerns during an ICE Out of Upper Bern Town Hall at the Shartlesville Fire Company on Sunday, March 22, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Santoni encouraged residents to continue contacting elected officials and participating in public discourse, though he acknowledged limits on county authority.
“I know it’s frustrating when you hear us say we can’t really do anything about it,” he said. “But you still should let us know. We want to hear from you.”
For many in attendance, Leiby said, the issue comes down to preserving the character and livability of a small, close-knit community.
“This is our community,” Leiby said. “This affects every one of us.”