Bucks Commissioners Unanimously Oppose Use of Warehouses for ICE Detention Centers

On Wednesday Bucks County Commissioners voted unanimously to oppose U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) opening detention facilities at warehouses in the county.

Bucks County Commissioners Bob Harvie and Gene DiGirolamo said they recently each received  reports that DHS was considering warehouse facilities in Bensalem and Middletown townships.

According to a WHYY.org report, The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the agency that oversees ICE, recently purchased a warehouse in nearby Berks County for possible use as an immigrant detention center.

The resolution, which was approved Wednesday, says the commissioners have  “humanitarian concerns” related to human rights organizations’ reports of “alarming conditions” in ICE detention centers across the country, according to the report.

The resolution also cites land-use ordinances, saying ICE detention centers in warehouses are “not intended for human occupation” pose public health hazards and strain public safety services and local water and sewer systems.

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick released a statement earlier this week in which he said his office contacted  DHS officials with constituents’ concerns about potential detention centers opening in Bucks County.

The agency, according to Fitzpatrick’s statement, said it has no plans for opening up operations in Bucks.

“When questions arise that impact our community, we address them directly, establish the facts, and ensure our community has clear and accurate information,” Fitzpatrick said in the statement