Family of Chinese Immigrant Who Died at US Detention Center Files Lawsuit Against Government
A heartbreaking lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security by the brother of Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old Chinese immigrant who died under mysterious circumstances at a Central Pennsylvania detention facility.
According to court documents, Ge was found dead in a shower stall at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center on August 5, with a cloth wrapped around his neck and his legs and hands tied behind his back. However, ICE's own report contradicts these findings, suggesting that Ge had been held at the facility for several months before his death.
Yangeng Ge, Chaofeng's brother, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on September 9 seeking information about his brother's detention and death. He claimed that federal officials unlawfully ignored his request, refusing to inform him whether they would comply within 20 days of receipt.
"This lawsuit calls for much-needed transparency into how the government is treating detainees," said Jeremy Ravinsky, associate attorney at Beldock Levine & Hoffman, which represents Ge's family. "The government is so committed to keeping the public in the dark about what is happening at these detention centers that it is willing to violate the law."
Ge's family alleges that he was held in isolation at the facility because no one spoke Mandarin and the staff made no effort to communicate with him. This lack of communication, combined with Ge's reported treatment by personnel and the circumstances of his death, raises serious questions about the conditions at the detention center.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and demands that all records pertaining to Ge's detention and death be released. Yangeng Ge himself stated, "I am devastated by the loss of my brother and by the knowledge that he was suffering so greatly in that detention center... He did not deserve to be treated that way. I want justice for my brother, answers as to how this could have happened, and accountability for those responsible for his death."
The case highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the treatment of detainees at ICE facilities. As one attorney noted, "Standing up and demanding transparency will encourage others to do the same... The more we can shed light on what happens at these detention centers, the better."
A heartbreaking lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security by the brother of Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old Chinese immigrant who died under mysterious circumstances at a Central Pennsylvania detention facility.
According to court documents, Ge was found dead in a shower stall at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center on August 5, with a cloth wrapped around his neck and his legs and hands tied behind his back. However, ICE's own report contradicts these findings, suggesting that Ge had been held at the facility for several months before his death.
Yangeng Ge, Chaofeng's brother, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on September 9 seeking information about his brother's detention and death. He claimed that federal officials unlawfully ignored his request, refusing to inform him whether they would comply within 20 days of receipt.
"This lawsuit calls for much-needed transparency into how the government is treating detainees," said Jeremy Ravinsky, associate attorney at Beldock Levine & Hoffman, which represents Ge's family. "The government is so committed to keeping the public in the dark about what is happening at these detention centers that it is willing to violate the law."
Ge's family alleges that he was held in isolation at the facility because no one spoke Mandarin and the staff made no effort to communicate with him. This lack of communication, combined with Ge's reported treatment by personnel and the circumstances of his death, raises serious questions about the conditions at the detention center.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and demands that all records pertaining to Ge's detention and death be released. Yangeng Ge himself stated, "I am devastated by the loss of my brother and by the knowledge that he was suffering so greatly in that detention center... He did not deserve to be treated that way. I want justice for my brother, answers as to how this could have happened, and accountability for those responsible for his death."
The case highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the treatment of detainees at ICE facilities. As one attorney noted, "Standing up and demanding transparency will encourage others to do the same... The more we can shed light on what happens at these detention centers, the better."