Clearfield, Pennsylvania:  A 32-year-old Chinese national, Chaofeng Ge, was found dead at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, an ICE detention facility operated by the private GEO Group. Ge was discovered unresponsive in the early hours of August 5, hanging in the shower area of his detention pod. His death marks the twelfth reported fatality in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since President Donald Trump assumed office.

Washington, D.C. – Reacting to the incident, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, called the death “an unacceptable tragedy” and expressed serious concerns about transparency and safety within ICE-run centers. She criticized the administration’s rollback of detention oversight, noting that more than 300 employees were dismissed from key Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offices that monitor civil rights and detention conditions. A policy mandating one-week notice for Congressional visits to detention centers has also prompted legal action by a group of Democratic lawmakers.

Jayapal warned that deteriorating conditions, combined with the administration’s push to expand ICE through the so-called "Big Bad Betrayal Bill," represent a growing crisis. She highlighted that nearly 65 percent of ICE detainees have no criminal history, with many held over minor violations. Condemning the reliance on for-profit prison operators, she urged ICE to end partnerships with companies like GEO Group, accusing them of sacrificing detainee welfare for profit.