Immigrant advocates are demanding the shutdown of the Moshannon Valley Processing Center after the death of 32-year-old Chinese national Chaofeng Ge on August 5, 2025. Officials say he died by suicide inside the ICE-run detention facility early that morning.
Authorities report staff found Ge hanging in a shower area in his housing pod. They started CPR and called emergency responders, but the Clearfield County coroner pronounced him dead around 6 a.m. Pennsylvania State Police say investigators found a handwritten note and ruled out foul play. Ge had been in ICE custody only five days and was waiting for a hearing before the immigration court system.
Facility background and capacity
The Moshannon Valley Processing Center (MVPC) is run by private prison company GEO Group under contract with ICE. It is the largest immigration detention facility in the Northeast, with space for up to 1,876 people. As of June 2025, the daily population hovered between 1,309 and 1,340, close to capacity.
Since opening in 2021, MVPC has drawn repeated complaints from attorneys, families, and former detainees citing:
- Wrongful solitary confinement
- Slow or poor medical care
- Limited translation services
- Overcrowding
- Discrimination by staff
Advocates also reference previous incidents at MVPC:
– A 2023 death of Cameroonian man Frankline Okpu
– A stabbing involving three detainees in August 2024
Calls to close MVPC and legal actions
After Ge’s death, several groups renewed demands to close the center and release people held there. Those groups include:
- Shut Down Detention Coalition
- Free Migration Project
- ACLU of Pennsylvania
- Legal Services of New Jersey
- University of Pennsylvania’s Transnational Legal Clinic
These organizations had previously filed a federal civil rights complaint in June 2024 with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The complaint alleged unconstitutional and harmful conditions at MVPC, including failures in medical care and language access.
“The death highlights systemic risks at MVPC,” advocates say, renewing calls for closure and accountability.
Official responses and investigations
- ICE: Says it takes safety and humane treatment seriously and has opened an investigation into Ge’s death. ICE notes its detention standards require suicide prevention practices, mental health assessments, and timely medical attention.
- Pennsylvania State Police: Confirm they are investigating and report finding a handwritten note; they ruled out foul play.
- Clearfield County officials: State they are not part of the probe and local leaders indicate closure is unlikely soon, citing local jobs and assertions the facility meets federal standards.
- U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal: Emphasized that most people in ICE detention are there for immigration cases (not criminal sentences) and called for reform.
Ge’s background and central questions
Lower Paxton Township police say Ge was arrested in January 2025 on charges tied to stolen credit card data and fraudulent use of cards. At the time of his death he remained in civil immigration custody, waiting on proceedings before the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).
This situation raises a core question: How should ICE hold people with pending immigration cases, and are private facilities equipped to do so safely?
Regional role and operational concerns
MVPC sits near the center of Pennsylvania and has become a regional hub for ICE transfers across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. With rising ICE arrests in Pennsylvania and MVPC operating near capacity, advocates warn of pressure on:
- Medical units
- Mental health services
- Translation and language access
For newly arrived people who need language support—like Chaofeng Ge—advocates say the first days in custody are often the most fragile.
Community groups point to specific risks:
– Lack of timely interpretation for medical and legal needs
– Wrongful solitary confinement that can worsen mental health
– Overcrowding that delays care and strains staff
– Complaints of discrimination by facility personnel
Local politics and economic factors
- Officials in Clearfield County have been urged to end the GEO Group/ICE contract, but local leaders say closure is unlikely because:
- The county benefits from jobs tied to the site
- Supporters claim the facility meets federal standards
Opponents counter that private profit should not drive detention, and they link current conditions to expanded detention policies that increased population and pressure on facilities like MVPC.
Advocate proposals for immediate changes
Advocates propose these immediate steps to reduce harm and improve safety:
- Expand alternatives to detention (check-ins, case management, monitoring), especially for people with strong community ties or medical needs.
- Improve medical and mental health screening on arrival, with quick access to care and crisis support.
- Guarantee fast, professional interpretation for all medical visits and legal meetings.
- Increase independent oversight, including unannounced inspections and public reporting on deaths, solitary use, and grievances.
Oversight, standards, and access concerns
ICE’s detention standards require suicide prevention practices, mental health assessments, and timely medical attention. Families and attorneys, however, often report these measures lag in practice.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, factors that can weaken oversight and access include:
– Long distances to rural detention centers
– Private operators that complicate transparency
– Difficulty for counsel and families to visit, especially for people needing interpretation
Guidance for families after a death in ICE custody
For families seeking information, the process can feel overwhelming. Typical steps and resources include:
- ICE usually notifies next of kin and the deceased’s consulate.
- Loved ones can request:
- Records and autopsy results
- Return of property
- Status of any pending investigations
- Attorneys may file requests for:
- Facility logs
- Medical notes
- Surveillance footage related to the incident
- No specific immigration form exists for a death investigation, but families can review general ICE detention guidance on ICE’s official site.
- For immigration court updates, consult EOIR’s official pages and resources.
What detained people and families can do now
- Contact legal aid groups named by advocates: Legal Services of New Jersey and the University of Pennsylvania’s Transnational Legal Clinic.
- Keep detailed records: medical requests, incident reports, and any denied interpretation.
- Report medical or safety concerns to DHS’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
- Seek mental health support immediately and ask facility staff to place a person at risk on watch and request evaluation.
Possible outcomes and next steps
Policy change will likely hinge on:
– The outcomes of ongoing investigations
– Pressure from Congress, DHS, and local officials
If the probe confirms gaps in care or supervision, potential consequences include:
– New rules or more inspections
– Cutbacks in private contracts
If not, calls to close the center may shift to demands for stronger, enforceable standards and faster use of non-detained options.
The loss of Chaofeng Ge at MVPC has renewed questions about ICE detention in the United States. Whether the facility changes or closes, people held there need safer conditions now. The next few weeks—investigations, official statements, and local decisions—will indicate whether this preventable tragedy prompts real change.
This Article in a Nutshell
