Hunger Strike and Deaths at Pennsylvania ICE Jail Spotlight Inhumane Conditions, Fuel Calls for Shutdown

The Moshannon Valley Processing Center in central Pennsylvania is under renewed fire after a hunger strike and multiple detainee deaths exposed ongoing inhumane conditions inside the largest ICE detention center in the Northeast. At least two detainees have died in the past year, including Chaofeng Ge, a Chinese national found hanging with his hands and feet bound in August.

In mid-April, around 100 detainees reportedly refused food to protest the facility’s poor-quality meals and inadequate medical care. One detainee reportedly vomited and passed out after eating, but was initially ignored by staff. Lawyers for detainees say at least one hunger striker was placed in solitary confinement, though ICE and county officials deny a hunger strike occurred, calling reports “false” and blaming misinformation.

Local residents and advocates, however, have rallied publicly against the facility, describing it as a site of “horrible conditions” and human rights violations. At an April 28 public hearing, a recently released detainee testified about substandard treatment, and community members urged county officials to end contracts with ICE and the GEO Group, the Florida-based private company that operates Moshannon.

Clearfield County commissioners have dismissed the allegations, claiming less than 10 percent of detainees missed a meal and denying any hunger strike. Commissioner Tim Winters attributed the uproar to “fearmongers” spreading false information.

But immigration lawyers working with detainees tell a different story. Craig Shagin, a Harrisburg-based attorney, confirmed that a client was confined to solitary for days after the strike, suspected as a ringleader. Multiple detainees have reported chronic health issues and interrupted medication access while detained.

Advocates like Jasmine Rivera of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition say the hunger strike is just the tip of the iceberg. “This is so much bigger than just one hunger strike,” Rivera said. “The solution here is that we need to shut down the detention center.”

Complaints about Moshannon’s conditions are longstanding. Community activist Bobbi Erickson noted that grievances about food, medical neglect, and treatment have persisted for years. Yet the privately run facility continues to operate, detaining over 1,600 immigrants under ICE custody.

This crisis at Moshannon underscores the broader systemic failures of ICE detention centers nationwide — where profit motives, lack of oversight, and disregard for detainee welfare culminate in suffering and death. As local outrage grows, so too does the demand for accountability and an end to this abusive detention regime.