US reps urge Trump admin to cut ties with Pittsburgh nonprofit
Sexual abuse allegations against a juvenile detention nonprofit that houses unaccompanied immigrant children and is based in Pittsburgh have garnered national attention and calls for the Trump administration to cut ties with the organization.
On July 30, three House Democrats representing Pennsylvania, as well as a Democrat Congressman from Illinois, called on the Trump administration to suspend its contract Abraxas Alliance amid sexual abuse allegations spanning at least two decades.
U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio and Summer Lee, who both represent parts Allegheny County, were joined by U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, who represents the majority of Montgomery County and most of Berks County northeast of Reading, and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois on July 30. Together, the four members of Congress urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to suspend its contract with Abraxas Alliance until a full investigation can be completed, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Abraxas Alliance, which was awarded a $9.2 million contract by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services's Office of Refugee Resettlement in 2025 to maintain 30 beds for unaccompanied immigrant children at its detention center in Morgantown, Berks County, has been at the receiving end of sexual abuse allegations that span at least two decades, with accusations made both before and after the contract was awarded.
One lawsuit, filed in 2022 by several previous Abraxas residents, alleged abuse, with one plaintiff saying a staff member repeatedly sexually abused and threatened to assault him if he didn't comply, an Oregon lawmaker said in a letter to the Trump administration. In another lawsuit, filed in 2024, 33 plaintiffs alleged sexual abuse took place at Abraxas facilities throughout Pennsylvania between 2003 and 2023, according to the Post-Gazette.
In November 2025, Abraxas' license to operate the Morgantown facility's secure detention unit — which is separate from where immigrant children are housed — was revoked by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, which cited "gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct," the Post-Gazette reported. Investigators said the facility didn't report suspected child abuse, and noted an instance where a staff member pushed a child's face into a table. They also noted a potential safety hazard caused by a large hole in the bathroom shower stall.
But the unit has been allowed to continue to operate for the time being, as Abraxas appealed the revocation and a decision is pending.
In their July 30 letter, lawmakers noted that there have been at least 15 incidents since 2023 involving staff physically mistreating children at the Morgantown facility, as documented by Pennsylvania state inspectors. Two of those cases involved allegations of sexual abuse or harassment, lawmakers said.
"These abuses are not abnormal, instead they are reflective of a recurring pattern of abuse allegations, institutional instability, and legal exposure spanning more than two decades and multiple owners," they wrote. "It is appalling that (the Office of Refugee Resettlement) nevertheless decided to house unaccompanied minors in a facility with such a record, thereby potentially exposing these children to the possibility of abuse and in violation of federal rules."
After their letter was issued, both Deluzio and Lee further emphasized their concerns about the treatment of children at the Morgantown facility.
"No child, regardless of where they come from or where they live, should be placed in a facility with a documented history of abuse," Lee said in a statement, the Post-Gazette reported. "The federal government has a responsibility to protect children in its care, not expose them to further harm or reward facilities that perpetrate that harm."
"Donald Trump’s mass deportation regime includes locking up children in a facility with a documented record of child abuse violations," Deluzio said in a statement. "My colleagues and I have serious questions about why the government is sending public money to such a facility that has failed to keep kids safe from abuse."
Earlier in the month, Dean visited the Morgantown facility, where staff said they were either unaware of incidents involving sexual abuse or that allegations had been found to not be credible, according to the July 30 letter. Staff additionally said that they didn't know what happens to children when they turn 18 at the facility, the lawmakers said.
The July 30 letter marked the second time members of Congress have tried to force the administration to end its relationship with the nonprofit, the Post-Gazette reported.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, urged former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and HHS Inspector General T. March Bell to end the contract and investigate the decision to partner with Abraxas in the midst of the 2024 lawsuit alleging sexual abuse.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman supported Wyden's call for the contract to be terminated, saying, "I fully agree with my colleague from Oregon on this very troubling situation, and look forward to decisive action from the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services."
HHS told the Post-Gazette its refugee resettlement office "works to ensure the safety, well-being, and appropriate care of all children in its custody" and that the office "remains fully compliant with its legal and regulatory obligations and does not act in any way that could dissuade a child from seeking appropriate legal relief."
Abraxas said in respond to Wyden's letter that it was aware of the concerns related to the Morgantown facility.
"The safety and well-being of those in our care is our highest priority, and we take any allegation or concern seriously," the nonprofit said.
The day before lawmakers sent their letter, immigrant advocate groups traveled to Harrisburg to call for the closure of the Morgantown facility, the Post-Gazette reported.
"Governor [Josh] Shapiro has the power to close Abraxas and stop the state from helping ICE separate our communities," said Vincent Nguyen with the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition and Woori Center. "We need him to use that power now."
While advocates have called for Shapiro to close the facility, his office has said the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has increased oversight on the facility, as shutting it down would send migrant children back to the federal government.
"If DHS were to issue an Emergency Removal Order for Abraxas Academy, non-citizen youth would be transferred back into the custody of the federal government, at which point Pennsylvania would no longer have the oversight authority to ensure they remain safe," said Rosie Lapowsky, a spokesperson for the governor’s office. "It is entirely unclear where or to what kind of facility the federal government would send these children."
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US reps urge Trump admin to cut ties with Pittsburgh nonprofit