PA Revokes License of Berks County Immigration Lockup

AP, Jan. 30, 2016 - "the state decided to revoke the operating license of a residential facility used by the federal government to house asylum-seeking immigrant families.  The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services said it won't renew the Berks County Residential Center's license because the facility continues holding immigrant children and adults.  The department said the center's operation as a federal immigration facility is inconsistent with its licensing as a child residential center.  State officials notified the county-owned facility of their decision in a letter dated Jan. 27.  The center's license expires Feb. 21.  The center in Leesport, about 40 miles southwest of Allentown, has been under contract with immigration authorities since 2001.  It's one of three such facilities nationwide.  The other two are in Texas.  Berks County officials declined comment, and it wasn't clear whether they would appeal.  Khaalid Walls, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency is reviewing the state's letter "to determine the appropriate next steps."  Immigrant-rights groups that have been demanding an end to family detention praised the decision.  "The state of Pennsylvania sent a strong message today that immigration detention facilities are no place for children, especially those that have suffered trauma," Wendy Cervantes, director of the First Focus Center for Children of Immigrants, said in a statement."