In a statement released Tuesday following a committee meeting, Chairman Todd Zimmerman said the organization intends to work alongside residents and a newly forming non-partisan coalition aimed at coordinating legal and civic efforts to challenge the project.
According to the committee, the coalition will seek to bring together community members, legal resources, and advocacy groups to examine options for opposing or limiting the development.
The facility became public last week after property records confirmed that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security purchased a more than one-million-square-foot industrial property in Tremont Township for $119.5 million. Because the federal government is tax-exempt, local officials have said the site would not generate real estate tax revenue for the township, Schuylkill County, or the Pine Grove Area School District.
The Democratic Committee estimates that the Pine Grove Area School District could lose approximately $555,000 annually in tax revenue, with an additional $222,000 affecting the county and about $195,000 impacting Tremont Township.
In its statement, the committee also raised concerns about the facility’s purpose, potential impacts on infrastructure, and the proximity of a nearby child day-care center. Members questioned whether existing water and sewer systems could support increased demand and expressed concern about additional industrial pressures on western Schuylkill County, which already hosts several waste facilities.
The group additionally questioned the purchase price of the property, noting that previous assessments listed a lower value, and asked for more transparency about the transaction.
While critical of the project, the committee emphasized it supports lawful immigration enforcement carried out with due process and constitutional protections. The statement said enforcement actions should involve properly trained personnel and coordination with local law enforcement.
Zimmerman also acknowledged a recent bipartisan town hall meeting in Tremont Township hosted by Rachel Wallace, a candidate for Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District, calling public engagement “essential as this process moves forward.”
The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have not publicly released detailed plans for how the Tremont facility would be used or when it could become operational.
The debate over the property is expected to continue as local officials, residents, and advocacy groups weigh the economic and social impacts of the project.
Zimmerman concluded the statement by saying the committee will continue pursuing opposition efforts “through lawful, organized, and cooperative means.”