Gov. Shapiro faces calls to close youth detention center, end state collaboration with ICE

Emily Scolnick is a 2026 Dow Jones News Fund intern at the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

Immigration advocates from across Pennsylvania called on Gov. Josh Shapiro to shut down a youth detention center in Berks County and end state collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday.

Over 100 people from 15 Pennsylvania counties joined a rally on the Capitol steps, urging Shapiro to protect immigrant communities, limit the enforcement of ICE detainers, and prevent ICE from accessing state databases and information from PennDOT that could lead to enforcement efforts. 

“Imagine waking up every day and knowing that going to work could separate you from your family,” said Vincent Nguyen, a youth leader with the Woori Center and intern with the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition (PIC), at a press conference Wednesday. “My generation is inheriting Pennsylvania, the United States, that today’s leaders are shaping. I want to inherit a commonwealth where every family can … live without fear.” 

The Shapiro administration said it is currently reviewing how ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and other federal agencies can access state  systems. Pennsylvania State Police officers are also not permitted to detain individuals due to their immigration status.

Several attendees said Shapiro’s response moving forward — or lack thereof — could determine how they vote in November’s election, where he is running for a second term against Republican and current state Treasurer Stacy Garrity. 

“You want our vote, you earn our vote,” Jasmine Rivera, PIC’s executive director, said at the rally. “You are not getting a dime of our money until you finally do something.” 

Nguyen told the Capital-Star that he and many other young people “aren’t just voting for the party anymore. They’re voting for the person.” 

“I think it’s time that Josh Shapiro and many other politicians realize that they won’t get our support just because we may sort of agree with them on some things,” he said. 

Tammy Murphy, the public policy and advocacy manager for Make the Road PA, said politicians can’t hide from the immigration issue going into this year’s elections. She added that while she won’t vote for Garrity, that doesn’t mean Shapiro will get her vote if he does not act. 

“I’m an immigrant myself, formerly undocumented,” said Miguel Andrade, who is the communications director for PIC, but shared his personal views. “It’s a personal issue for me, and it does make me think about who are the elected officials I’m going to be supporting moving forward.” 

“I would not vote for Shapiro in this moment,” he added. 

Calls to close Abraxas

Many rally attendees displayed signs calling for Shapiro to issue an Emergency Removal Order to close Abraxas Academy, a youth detention center in Berks County that has faced several lawsuits alleging sexual abuse within the facility this year. 

“A society is measured by how we treat our most vulnerable members, especially those who are in prison and children,” said David Wesley Cornish, an attorney representing multiple Abraxas victims. “Children are to be protected and cared for. They are to be nurtured. They are not to be harmed.” 

Rosie Lapowsky, a spokesperson for Shapiro, wrote in a statement that Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services currently performs weekly unannounced visits to Abraxas to inspect living conditions and assess treatment of its youth.

“The Shapiro Administration has zero tolerance for any neglect, abuse or mistreatment of children in facilities it licenses,” she wrote. “Our priority is keeping these children safe — and we are mindful that if an Emergency Removal Order were to be issued for Abraxas Academy, non-citizen youth would be transferred back into the custody of the Trump Administration, at which point Pennsylvania would no longer have the oversight authority to ensure they are being cared for.” 

In November 2025, DHS revoked Abraxas’ license for its Secure Detention Unit — one of three licenses the facility maintains — for failure to report alleged instances of abuse. Lapowsky said there has been no new evidence that has prompted additional investigation. 

The other two licenses continue to be subject to increased monitoring from DHS, which has no role in placing non-citizen children, according to the Shapiro administration.

“Every leader, every lawmaker, every citizen of Pennsylvania should be demanding the immediate release of these youth and the immediate closure of the Abraxas facility,” said Leslie Mamas, a reverend at the United Church of Christ in Montgomery County. “This isn’t a political issue. It is a moral one.” 

Following the rally, Rivera led a group of organizers to Shapiro’s office to deliver a letter signed by immigrant rights advocates. The contents have not been released publicly.

She said up to this point, there have been no direct conversations with the governor about the coalition’s demands, “and it’s not for lack of asking.” 

“There’s been many, many, many conversations and research and reports sent over to his staff,” she added.