About
What is No Berks Detention?
No Berks Detention is an independent blog launched in March 2026 by residents concerned about their neighbors, immigrant families, and the impact of expanding ICE presence in Berks County.
IF YOU WITNESS ICE ACTIVITY IN BERKS COUNTY, CALL THE BURN RAPID RESPONSE HOTLINE AND GIVE AS MUCH DETAIL AS YOU CAN.
HOTLINE: 610-850-9930
What is BOW?
BOW stands for Berks Organizing Workgroup. We are a political action group, formed under the larger BURN (Berks Urgent Response Network) organization. Our aim is to protect Berks County residents from the practices & policies that threaten us, our friends, and our loved ones. We do this through consistent and coordinated engagement with elected officials and local advocacy networks.
What is BURN?
BURN is a coalition of local organizations and volunteers that have come together out of concern for our neighbors and the impact of ICE on our communities. BURN meets monthly, every third Saturday at 2PM (First Unitarian Universalist Church 416 Franklin Street, Reading)
Is ICE actually active in Berks County?
In short, yes.
Despite the insistence to the contrary by some loud voices, ICE is present and active all over Berks County. In fact, they have been for a long time - it's just that now, they feel more empowered to take bolder, more harmful measures to remove our immigrant neighbors with less legal scrutiny. Our website provides ample resources & links to show the negative impact ICE has had in our community.
ICE Detention Centers in Berks & Schuylkill
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 about 200 workers over three shifts, into a so-called 'processing' center that could detain up to 1,500 people.
On March 5, 2026, the PA Dept of Environmental Protection prohibited occupancy. PA-DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley stated, “Doubling the populations of these areas could drain drinking water sources and lead to polluted waterways from overwhelmed sewage facilities leaking raw waste into our streets and rivers. Just like anyone else, DHS needs to demonstrate its facilities comply with environmental standards.”
Read more about the horrific realities of these detention centers in our blog post here.
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