Aimee was a guest co-host on our podcast this week, but she’s also an organizer in Pennsylvania and she just shared some much-needed good news.
A few months ago, ICE bought two huge warehouses in Schuylkill county on the eastern side of Pennsylvania. The plan, of course, was to turn these warehouses into detention centers that could house thousands of people. Besides the moral injustice of locking up mothers, fathers, and children who had committed no crime, the detention centers would strain local water, sewer, emergency response, and other public services.
But the people who lived nearby refused to accept it without a fight. They packed meetings, called their local officials, and suddenly ICE’s plans didn’t seem like such a done deal after all.
In February, PA Governor Josh Shapiro met with local elected officials and community leaders to hear their concerns. What he heard was a strong unified message that stretched across political parties, faith communities, and environmental advocates: ICE OUT.
His office informed ICE that they wouldn’t be allowed to use the municipal water and sewer systems, effectively shutting down their plans. The federal government appealed the decision, but two days ago they officially dropped the case and confirmed that they “will not be using either property as a detention center.”
Here’s what Governor Shapiro had to say:
“From the beginning, I’ve been clear that these warehouses should not be used as ICE detention centers because they are not suitable for people and converting them to detention centers would have posed serious risks to the health, safety, and infrastructure of the surrounding communities. My Administration stood with local leaders and residents, enforced Pennsylvania law, and worked across agencies to protect people from being held in these warehouses and to protect the surrounding communities.”
The upcoming midterms are incredibly important, but this goes to show that democracy isn’t just voting every four — or two — years. When we join together with our neighbors, we can make real change.
