ICE Acquires $87.4 Million Pennsylvania Warehouse for Migrant Housing
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has discreetly purchased a substantial warehouse facility in a rural Pennsylvania town for nearly $90 million, with plans to use it to house over 1,000 migrants. The acquisition forms part of a broader federal strategy to expand detention capacity amid ongoing aggressive deportation efforts.
Details of the Hamburg Acquisition
Deed records examined by the Daily Mail reveal that ICE, which operates under Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security (DHS), completed a cash purchase of $87.4 million for the property on January 29. The 518,000-square-foot grey warehouse is situated in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, within Upper Bern Township along Interstate-78.
Previously known as the Hamburg Logistics Center, the building once hosted the Mountain Springs Arena, a venue for rodeos and demolition derbies. Its location places it in a secluded area, with a 10,000-acre hunting ground to the north and an Amazon fulfilment centre operating less than a mile away.
Expansion of Detention Facilities Nationwide
This purchase is not an isolated incident. According to Bloomberg, the Trump administration is actively seeking to acquire up to 23 warehouses across the country to detain the growing number of migrants targeted for deportation. In January alone, ICE expended nearly $380 million on four warehouse properties, including the Hamburg site.
The other facilities purchased include:
- A former Big Lots distribution centre in Tremont, Pennsylvania, costing over $119 million, which reportedly could hold up to 7,500 detainees.
- A warehouse in Hagerstown, Maryland.
- A third property in Surprise, Arizona.
ICE has not officially confirmed the intended use for these properties and did not respond to requests for comment regarding the acquisitions.
Community Concerns and Local Reactions
The proximity of the Tremont warehouse to a childcare centre has sparked significant local unease. Located less than half a mile from Kids-R-Kids Childcare Center, the facility's potential use for migrant detention has caused outrage among residents who fear for community safety.
Joyce Wetzel, owner of the daycare, told WNEP-TV that parents are particularly worried about their children's security. "I don't like it, but there's nothing you can do. I'm trying to reassure my parents and my staff that we should be okay," Wetzel stated, reflecting the tension between federal immigration enforcement actions and local community concerns.
Broader Immigration Enforcement Context
The warehouse acquisitions coincide with reported increases in deportation activities. The DHS has stated that officials have removed almost three million people since Donald Trump resumed the presidency on January 1, 2025.
In a recent statement, Kristi Noem highlighted these enforcement achievements: "In President Trump's first year back in office, nearly three million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations and more than 675,000 deportations."
Noem further noted reductions in fentanyl trafficking at the southern border and significant cocaine seizures by the US Coast Guard, claiming the DHS has saved taxpayers over $13.2 billion while prioritising American communities.
The strategic purchase of the Hamburg warehouse, alongside other similar facilities, underscores the administration's commitment to expanding detention infrastructure as part of its immigration policy framework. These developments continue to generate both operational discussions and community debates across affected regions.
