What is Moshannon?

Moshannon Valley Processing Center is the largest ICE detention center on the East Coast. And people have no idea what’s happening inside.

After people are kidnapped by ICE off of our streets, they are imprisoned in Moshannon Valley before they are deported. Moshannon can hold up to 2000 prisoners and is run by a private prison company, GEO Group. Moshannon was built for short stays — yet, one in six people imprisoned there have been there for more than six months.

People jailed in Moshannon Valley say they are facing abuse, mental trauma, and aren’t receiving medical care for their injuries. Many report being placed on suicide watch, and, most recently, Chinese immigrant Chaofeng Ge committed suicide while in ICE custody.

We’re being kept in the dark

Family members are not allowed to visit their loved ones in Moshannon. Legal visits from lawyers are permitted, but they are mostly virtual visits. Nobody has been able to see and report back about what Moshannon is like, even our elected officials.

Pennsylvania Congressmembers Summer Lee and Mary Gay Scanlon have tried to tour Moshannon to see the conditions themselves. Moshannon denied them entry, ignoring their congressional right of oversight.

While people are denied from seeing the truth of what’s happening, ICE and GEO Group are operating without accountability, and keeping us in the dark about their abuse.

We are calling for Moshannon to be investigated. We want Moshannon to be Shut Down.

Moshannon Valley Processing Center and GEO Group are profiting off of the suffering of our communities. They are encouraged to keep as many people detained as possible, in order to make more money.

Moshannon only exists as part of a broken immigration system that is mistreating our family members, our friends, and our neighbors. The longer that Moshannon stays open, the more people will be hurt.

We do not want our state to be involved in Trump’s deportation agenda. We believe that Pennsylvania shouldn’t be home to ICE detention centers, starting with Moshannon Valley.