ICE Faces Lawsuit Over Chaofeng Ge’s Death in Pennsylvania

(PHILIPSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA) A new lawsuit filed in federal court is putting fresh scrutiny on ICE detention practices after the death of a 32-year-old Chinese immigrant held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in central Pennsylvania. The complaint, submitted on November 12, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security failed to protect detainee Chaofeng Ge and then withheld records that could explain what happened in the days before he died.

What happened and immediate findings

Ge was found dead on August 5, 2025, just four days after arriving at the Moshannon facility, which is run by private prison operator the GEO Group under contract with ICE. According to the lawsuit, officers discovered him in a shower stall with a cloth around his neck and his hands and feet tied behind his back.

Staff performed CPR and other life-saving efforts, but he was pronounced dead roughly 40 minutes later. His official death certificate lists the cause of death as suicide by hanging, a finding that has raised sharp questions among his relatives and immigrant rights advocates given the restraints described in facility records.

Who filed the suit and what it seeks

The complaint was filed by Ge’s brother, Yanfeng Ge, who is seeking transparency and accountability from ICE, DHS, and the GEO Group. Through attorney David Rankin, a partner at Beldock Levine & Hoffman LLP in New York City, the family argues that federal officials have “unlawfully ignored” a detailed request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The FOIA request, according to the filing, sought records about:

• Chaofeng’s detention and intake files
• Medical and mental health screening
• Language-access assistance and interpretation logs
• Surveillance footage from the facility
• Internal reviews and incident reports made after his death

The family says they received only silence or simple acknowledgments without any actual files. The lawsuit aims to force the agencies to hand over all records related to Ge’s detention and death, as well as information about conditions at Moshannon more broadly.

“Unlawfully ignored” — language from the complaint describing the agencies’ response (or lack of response) to the FOIA request.

Timeline of key events

Allegations about conditions and care

Facility records cited in the lawsuit show that Ge was initially assessed on August 1 with a Mandarin interpreter. The medical intake noted no past physical or mental health problems and no signs of suicidal ideation. Yet within days, he was dead.

The complaint alleges:

• Ge was effectively isolated after intake because almost no one at the facility could speak Mandarin.
• Staff allegedly refused to communicate with him in any meaningful way, which contributed to severe stress.
• ICE denied mental health care that could have helped Ge upon arrival into an unfamiliar, locked environment.

Lawyers argue that isolation and lack of language access can rapidly create intense distress, particularly for new arrivals uncertain about detention length or their immigration outcomes.

Legal and procedural context: FOIA as a tool

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, FOIA lawsuits have become one of the few tools families use when a person dies in immigration custody and the government does not quickly release records.

Typical FOIA process steps (as described in the complaint and common practice):

1. Submit FOIA request to relevant agencies (ICE and DHS in this case).
2. Agencies acknowledge receipt and either provide records, withhold records under exemptions, or fail to respond meaningfully.
3. If the agency refuses or ignores the request, the requester may file a FOIA lawsuit to compel disclosure.

FOIA suits do not adjudicate whether detainee rights were violated or resolve wrongful-death claims. Instead, they force the release of documents that may later support such claims — for example, records about suicide-prevention training, guard check frequencies, and prior complaints about language access or mental health.

Broader facility history and legal challenges

The Moshannon Valley Processing Center has been the target of multiple legal challenges. Advocacy groups — including the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Legal Services of New Jersey, and the Transnational Legal Clinic — have filed separate lawsuits alleging inhumane conditions at the facility.

Those cases claim detainees have been denied:

• Proper medical care
• Interpretation and language-access services
• Access to legal counsel
• Other basic needs required by U.S. and international standards

The new Ge lawsuit adds another layer by focusing on what the family calls a wall of secrecy after a detainee’s death.

National trend and political response

The broader trend behind this case has alarmed immigrant rights groups for years. Under the administration of President Trump, the number of people held in ICE custody increased, as did the reported deaths.

The lawsuit cites figures that at least 15 immigrants have died in ICE facilities or while in its care since the start of the current administration, compared with 12 deaths in all of fiscal year 2024. Critics say these numbers suggest a pattern of preventable harm inside civil immigration detention.

Members of Congress have responded. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) has pushed to end what she calls “for-profit detention.” She emphasizes that about 65% of people in ICE custody have no criminal record, and many detained people face only minor charges.

Jayapal and other lawmakers argue:

• Remote, private centers like Moshannon separate detainees from lawyers and community support, increasing risk of neglect.
• Community-based alternatives (case management, regular check-ins, limited electronic monitoring) are cheaper and safer than large detention centers.
• When deaths occur, ICE should promptly release video footage, incident reports, and medical files to families.

ICE response and standards

ICE has not yet filed a formal response in court to the FOIA lawsuit and did not respond to specific questions about the case in time for publication. On its public website, ICE states it is committed to safe, secure, and humane detention.

Official information about ICE detention standards is posted on the agency’s detention standards page, which outlines rules on medical care, language access, and suicide prevention for people in custody.

Impact on families and next steps

For families like the Ges, the lack of information can be nearly as painful as the loss itself. Relatives living outside the 🇺🇸 often have limited knowledge of how the immigration detention system works. They may struggle with:

• Language barriers
• Time zone differences
• Fear of contacting authorities
• Difficulty finding legal representation

When ICE does not respond promptly to FOIA requests, as the Ge family claims, federal court may be the only path to information.

Possible disclosures the FOIA suit could produce:

• Records of staff training on suicide prevention at Moshannon
• Guard check logs for showers and housing units
• Surveillance video from the time around Ge’s death
• Internal incident reports and medical records

For now, the case highlights how a single death in immigration custody can raise broader questions about detention policy in the 🇺🇸. It has renewed calls for the closure of the Moshannon Valley Processing Center and for closer oversight of private contractors holding noncitizens while their immigration cases proceed.

Advocates say the outcome of this lawsuit may shape how transparent ICE must be when tragedy strikes behind locked doors.