ICE detainee found dead in Moshannon shower room, was awaiting immigration hearing according to officials.
Authorities have confirmed the death of Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old Chinese national, who was found deceased at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania on Tuesday morning. Ge had been in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for five days while awaiting an immigration hearing. His death was pronounced by the Clearfield County coroner at 6:03 AM following his discovery in a shower room, where staff attempted resuscitation efforts.
ICE declined to disclose a preliminary cause of death, stating that an investigation is underway. Reports of the incident quickly circulated among local immigrant advocacy groups, prompting a coalition to schedule a news conference to address recent suicide concerns at the detention facility. These organizations are advocating for the termination of ICE’s contract with the Moshannon facility, emphasizing the facility’s troubled history and ongoing issues highlighted in a 2024 study from the Social Justice Lawyering Clinic at Temple University. The study revealed detainee accounts of inadequate medical care and incidents of abuse by facility staff.
Ge’s arrest occurred on January 23, when he was taken into custody by Lower Paxton Township police for alleged fraudulent activities involving credit cards. He faced multiple charges, including criminal use of a communication facility, which is classified as a third-degree felony with a potential penalty of up to seven years in prison. Following his arraignment, Ge was unable to post his bail, which was set at 0,000, leading to his transfer to Dauphin County Prison. An immigration detainer was subsequently lodged by ICE.
After pleading guilty to two counts related to unauthorized use of an electronic device, Ge was sentenced to six to twelve months. Before being transferred to Moshannon Valley Processing Center, he was in ICE custody for processing.
The Moshannon facility, operated by the GEO Group, is the largest of four ICE detention centers in Pennsylvania, with a capacity of 1,876 beds. Recent statistics from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse indicated that the facility maintained an average daily population of approximately 1,320 in June.
Advocacy groups plan to appeal to the Clearfield County Commissioners to halt ICE’s operations at Moshannon. ICE has communicated with the Chinese Embassy regarding Ge’s death and noted that it is obligated to provide public reports on in-custody deaths within a 90-day window. In fiscal year 2025, ICE reported 13 deaths in custody, compared to 12 in the previous year, and only seven combined deaths in fiscal years 2023 and 2022.
ICE asserts its commitment to maintaining safe, secure, and humane conditions for individuals in custody, stating that basic medical care is provided from the moment detainees arrive. Nationally, ICE is currently detaining approximately 56,945 individuals, a notable increase from 39,238 at the beginning of the Trump administration.
As the situation develops, further updates will be provided. The agency is tasked with ensuring the safety of detainees, and this incident will likely contribute to ongoing discussions around detention facility conditions and practices.
