CLEARFIELD COUNTY, Penn. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, Legal Services of New Jersey, and the Transnational Legal Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School have filed a federal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties over inhumane conditions at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, a facility run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the private corporation GEO Group.
The complaint alleges that people held in the processing center endure unconstitutional, punitive, and harmful conditions. These alleged conditions include inadequate medical care, a lack of language access, and an environment where those detained at the center are discriminated against by staff.
“This whole experience [at Moshannon] left me feeling ignored and unheard,” said Alvin, one of the complainants. “I feel like a bug trapped in a spider’s web that is too small for the spider to even eat. I am so frustrated and exhausted from being brushed to the side and I feel there is no way for me to get the care I need.”
“What is happening to people at Moshannon is not unique. In fact, it is illustrative of the experiences of many people in ICE detention across the country,” said Vanessa Stine, senior staff attorney for immigrants’ rights at ACLU of Pennsylvania. “ICE detention is unnecessary and cruel; there is no good reason to detain those awaiting their day in immigration court.”
One of the complainants did not receive medical treatment for painful tumors. Another attempted suicide due to depression and an untreated medical condition that worsened while detained. Women at Moshannon are particularly vulnerable as they live in cells surrounded by a majority-male population that they cannot interact with, resulting in limited movement outside of their housing unit. Access to menstrual products is extremely restricted and preventive medical care, like mammograms, are not accessible.
“All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and not with wanton disregard for their health and well-being,” said Shira Wisotsky, attorney for special projects at Legal Services of New Jersey. “ICE detains scores of noncitizen New Jerseyans at Moshannon. What our clients have experienced and continue to experience there is unacceptable. We call on ICE and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to take immediate and meaningful action in response to this complaint.”
“I wouldn’t wish on anyone what I went through at Moshannon because of the conditions there, the way I was treated, and the racism I experienced,” said Jose, another complainant. “Even though I am in ICE detention, I am a human being.”
The complaint calls on the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to ensure accountability from ICE and GEO Group by opening investigations into the harms raised in our complaint.
You can read the full complaint at aclupa.org/MoshannonConditions
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