The Berks County warehouse was sold to the United States government on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE
By Amanda Fries and Gabriela Martínez | Spotlight PA | February 2, 2026
UPPER BERN TWP, PA — The Trump administration has quietly purchased a nearly 520,000-square-foot warehouse in Berks County as it plans to convert such facilities into immigration detention centers across the U.S.
The warehouse, located at 3501 Mountain Road in Upper Bern Township, was sold to the U.S. government on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for $87.4 million, deed records show. The purchase was recorded on Feb. 2.
The building is one of at least 23 that ICE plans to convert into an immigration detention facility, Bloomberg reports. The Berks County warehouse could house up to 1,500 beds.
ICE also finalized the purchase of a warehouse in nearby Tremont Township, in Schuylkill County, on Monday, according to a deed. The Tremont property is located less than 300 yards from a daycare center and has already faced fierce resident opposition.
VIDEO
A group of local prosecutors from across the country are joining forces to push back against what they describe as dangerous federal immigration tactics under President Donald Trump. The new Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach aims to hold federal immigration agents accountable if they break the law. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner are part of the group and join The Weeknight to discuss the effort.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT EXCERPTS
Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney:
3:11 Well, you know, I believe in justice. I think most Americans do, and we’re up against an administration that has no qualms about doing things that are deeply immoral, illegal and unconstitutional.
The organization itself is growing. More and more prosecutors are joining, including from very large jurisdictions because we understand the challenge.
Part of our oath is to uphold the Constitution, the laws, and also to seek justice. We cannot do that and acquiesce to what this administration is trying to do.
For anybody who would like to know more, you know, we would love to have you join this fight one way or the other. We have a website, federaloverreach.org would encourage you to go to federaloverreach.org and engage.
4:36 WELL, We’re going to fight and we’re going to win. You know, just one of our members is Steve Descano, who actually pursued successfully essentially that case.
There is no such thing as what J .D. Vance is claiming he claims there’s this absolute immunity. He claims that ICE can operate basically as a death squad. They can do whatever they want and there will be no consequence.
That is absolutely wrong. He knows it’s wrong. There is a sliver called qualified immunity that will affect you know some minor cases but it’s really not going to have an impact in my opinion, on the kind of cases that my colleague Mary Moriarty and my a friend is facing. You know, when you are killing unarmed people, you are doing so in ways that obviously go way beyond what you had to do, and are objectively unreasonable, you’re going to get convicted and you’re going to do every day in jail, because Donald Trump cannot pardon you.
7:50 Well obviously the most important thing is to return them to their families but let me just say this to anybody in the federal government, be careful what you wish for. I can list ten different state court crimes that look like taking a kid away from their family without legal authority, transporting them somewhere else and not letting the family know where they are.
And it is increasingly clear that this is being done without authority. Let me just say, as the DA in Philly, you try that stuff in Philly, you’re going to find out.
Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney
Press Announcement
NATIONAL GROUP OF DISTRICT ATTORNEYS, PROSECUTORS COME TOGETHER TO PUSH BACK AGAINST FEDERAL OVERREACH
MINNEAPOLIS, MN— A national coalition of locally-elected, top prosecutors today announced the formation of the Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach – an effort to hold federal officials accountable when they exceed their lawful authority, especially in states around the country where federal agents are being surged. The coalition launches amid growing concerns about warrantless entries, unlawful detentions, and coercive enforcement tactics by federal agents, and it’s intended to ensure that constitutional limits on federal power are actively enforced through lawful institutions.
Founding participants include District Attorneys from places such as Minneapolis (Mary Moriarty); Philadelphia (Larry Krasner); Austin, TX (Jose Garza); Fairfax, VA (Steve Descano); Falls Church & Arlington, VA; (Parisa Dehghani-Tafti); Portsmouth, VA (Stephanie Morales); Norfolk, VA (Ramin Fatehi); Dallas, TX, (John Creuzot); and Pima County, AZ (Laura Conover). The coalition will share strategies and best practices among prosecutors, provide regular public updates on efforts to rein in unlawful federal conduct and educate the public on what paths are legally available, and coordinate on accountability efforts across jurisdictions.
“No agency and no officer is above the law,” said Larry Krasner, District Attorney of Philadelphia. “When federal agents exceed their lawful authority, local prosecutors have both the power and the duty to act. The project exists to ensure that accountability is real, coordinated, and enforced through lawful institutions.”
Project participants emphasized that accountability is critical to keeping trust in the legal system. When they see no consequences for unlawful actions, it means people also understand that the rule of law will crumble. That’s the opposite of safety, said Mary Moriarty, District Attorney of Hennepin County.
“The American people deserve and indeed need to know that local leaders are working together to defend their constitutional rights.”
Participants plan to convene in early February to share strategies for pushing back against the lawless actions of federal forces in states and cities around the country.
The project is launching today with a national press availability (details below). Initial administrative and communications support for the launch is being provided by DEFIANCE.org, other nonpartisan organizations, and the support of ordinary Americans who go to www.federaloverreach.org.
The Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach is a national coalition of independent district attorneys collaborating to ensure accountability when federal officials exceed their lawful authority.
