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All are welcome to attend a vigil in support of Erasmo's family on Sunday, May 10th at 4:00 PM - see details in post. Also, read on for important developments in Erasmo's case.
We need to put an end to human warehousing. DHS/ICE purchased an unused warehouse located at 3501 Mountain Road in Upper Bern Township near I-78 and a closed distribution center in Tremont, Schuylkill County, reported Spotlight PA. ICE plans to convert the Upper Bern warehouse, originally designed to handle
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UPDATE (5/8/26) SUNDAY: Join ALDEA for a peaceful vigil at the home of Erasmo Zavala Almanza, a Berks County grandfather, caregiver, and cooperating witness in a domestic violence homicide case who is currently detained by ICE. From ALDEA: We are planning a vigil this Mother's Day
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We want ICE completely out of Berks, root and branch — we want a county where all of our neighbors, regardless of status, can live without fear of state-sanctioned violence. Communities across the country are already winning this fight. We can too.
BOW Blog
This heart-wrenching letter to Gov. Shapiro was sent from the wife of a Berks County resident who lives mere miles from the proposed ICE warehouse. The trauma of needless ICE detention and the pain of family separation is evident. (edited to protect identities) February 25, 2026 Dear Governor Shapiro, My
UPDATE: Angela Della Valle was reunited with husband Carlos on April 28 after 258 Days Separated by Prolonged Detention. "Every day, Angela Della Valle drives an hour through central Louisiana’s yellow-pine hills to visit her husband at Winn Correctional Center, in the middle of the Kisatchie National Forest.
Congressman Dan Meuser wrote this opinion piece on March 27 detailing the assurances he's received from DHS about the warehouses in Upper Bern and Tremont. His tone suggests that we all just relax because everything is gonna be alright. Seriously, Dan? As if we don't know
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Dear Prison Board, We have questions. You, the members of the Berks County Prison Board, are responsible for the safe-keeping, discipline, and employment of prisoners, and the government and management of the Berks County Jail, where upwards of 700 people are held every day at a cost to taxpayers of
On March 28, 2026 , at 11th and Rockland Streets and in downtown Kutztown, thousands of Berks Countians showed up at No Kings Protest along with an estimated 8 million people nationwide. It was the largest single day protest in American history. We protested a regime that is sending masked agents
Feb 27, 2026 Thank you for joining the thousands of Pennsylvanians saying NO to ICE in Berks County. And thanks to Governor Shapiro for coming here yesterday and promising to use “every tool at his disposal” to stop planned ICE detention centers here and in neighboring Schuylkill County. “We are
The Department of Homeland Security quietly purchased an industrial warehouse in Upper Bern Township near Hamburg with plans to convert it into an ICE detention center for up to 1,500 people for a limited time. They also purchased a warehouse in Schuylkill County near Tremont to imprison 7,500
Berks County Commissioners Town Hall Tuesday, May 12, 2026 from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM at the Boyertown Community Library at 24 North Reading Avenue, Boyertown. Doors open 6pm. Prison Board Meeting Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 9:00am promptly. County Services Bldg 13th Floor, 633 Court Street.