The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) withdrew its plans to convert two Pennsylvania warehouses into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers.

On Wednesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro said DHS dropped its appeals of state administrative orders that blocked the agency from using the water and sewer infrastructure needed to convert warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties into ICE detention centers.

"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," said Shapiro. "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.”

Immigration advocates also celebrated the decision.

"This represents a very important victory for our communities," Patty Torres with the organization Make the Road PA said.

In early February, NBC10 obtained a deed showing DHS had purchased a warehouse at 3501 Mountain Road in Upper Bern Township for $87.4 million in January.

This facility would have held up to 1,500 people.

Some neighbors expressed concerns about the plans, while others believed the investment could make the project successful.

"It would because where I live, it’s a problem the sewage the water and yeah because that’s a lot of people," said Bernice Jacques of Shartlesville.

“I don’t have a problem with it. They’ll work it out. They’ve been built others all around," said Cathy of Shartlesville.

Warehouse purchased by DHS

DHS also purchased a warehouse in Tremont Township, Schuylkill County for $120 million that would have held up to 7,500 people.

After learning of the plans, Shapiro said he would do everything in his power to stop the effort, raising concerns that the local water and wastewater services in these rural areas were inadequate to handle the thousands of inhabitants envisioned by the federal agency.

ICE did not say what, if anything, it would ultimately use the warehouses for.

However, in a July 13 letter, the federal agency told the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection that it “has considered the final use it will make of this property, and it hereby informs DEP that it will not be using this property as a detention center.”

After state and local officials pushed back against plans, immigration officials have canceled efforts to convert warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties into detention centers for undocumented residents arrested by ICE officers.

NBC10 reached out to ICE what led to the decision, how much money had already been invested and what will happen to the companies now. The agency didn't respond to the questions and responded with the following statement:

"DHS is moving swiftly to utilize existing detention space with our state and county partners."

Meanwhile, advocates said they still have questions about the future of the properties.

"Over $207 million dollars that were wasted around these warehouse facility purchases. And we know that the infrastructure in these different parts of the state is still lacking, right? People across Pennsylvania, there's lack of medical resources, medical centers are being shut down across Pennsylvania. We know that our schools are struggling. This is all money that the state wasted on a warehouse for detaining people that did end up going anywhere," said Miguel Andrade with the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition.

Despite DHS withdrawing its appeals, state officials said the administrative orders will remain in effect, and DEP will continue "closely monitoring these facilities to ensure DHS follows through on its stated intention."

ICE had been buying warehouses across the U.S. as part of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s $38 billion plan to rapidly expand detention capacity this year. However, it began retreating from that plan last month.