A Lawsuit Filed by Brother of Chinese Immigrant Who Died in Pa. ICE Detention Center
The US government is facing a lawsuit after the brother of a 32-year-old Chinese immigrant, Chaofeng Ge, filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking answers about his death at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Central Pennsylvania.
According to the lawsuit, Yangeng Ge received confirmation from the US Postal Service that ICE had received his request, but it was "unlawfully ignored" by the agency. The lawsuit claims that federal officials failed to provide Ge with information about the conditions of the facility where his brother was being held, including the circumstances surrounding his death.
Chaofeng Ge's body was found in a shower stall at the detention center on August 5, with a cloth wrapped around his neck and his legs and hands tied behind his back. The ICE Detainee Death Report for Ge lists that he was brought to the facility after being convicted of accessing an electronic device issued to another who did not authorize use.
However, Yangeng Ge's brother claims that this information is "highly suspect" and that he does not understand how long his brother was held at the facility. The lawsuit alleges that Ge felt isolated in the facility because no one spoke Mandarin and the staff made no effort to communicate with him.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and for the agencies to release all records pertaining to Ge's detention and death. Yangeng Ge is also seeking accountability for those responsible for his brother's death, stating that he wants "justice" and "answers as to how this could have happened."
In a statement, David Rankin, a lawyer representing Ge's family, said: "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. This lawsuit calls for much-needed transparency into how the government is treating detainees."
The US government is facing a lawsuit after the brother of a 32-year-old Chinese immigrant, Chaofeng Ge, filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking answers about his death at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Central Pennsylvania.
According to the lawsuit, Yangeng Ge received confirmation from the US Postal Service that ICE had received his request, but it was "unlawfully ignored" by the agency. The lawsuit claims that federal officials failed to provide Ge with information about the conditions of the facility where his brother was being held, including the circumstances surrounding his death.
Chaofeng Ge's body was found in a shower stall at the detention center on August 5, with a cloth wrapped around his neck and his legs and hands tied behind his back. The ICE Detainee Death Report for Ge lists that he was brought to the facility after being convicted of accessing an electronic device issued to another who did not authorize use.
However, Yangeng Ge's brother claims that this information is "highly suspect" and that he does not understand how long his brother was held at the facility. The lawsuit alleges that Ge felt isolated in the facility because no one spoke Mandarin and the staff made no effort to communicate with him.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and for the agencies to release all records pertaining to Ge's detention and death. Yangeng Ge is also seeking accountability for those responsible for his brother's death, stating that he wants "justice" and "answers as to how this could have happened."
In a statement, David Rankin, a lawyer representing Ge's family, said: "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. This lawsuit calls for much-needed transparency into how the government is treating detainees."
this is just awful what kind of system lets people die like that in custody?!? 
federal officials are supposed to be doing a job not ignoring human rights and life 
ge's family deserves answers and justice for his brother's death, it's not right to leave people to suffer in silence. 
the fact that no one spoke mandarin at the facility makes sense now, it's a recipe for disaster 
my heart goes out to yangeng ge, i hope he gets the answers and justice he's seeking 
... ICE's Moshannon Valley Processing Center has a reputation for being one of the worst places to be held in the US, and now it seems like they're being held accountable 
. I don't think the government should've ignored Yangeng's FOIA request, that was just careless on their part 
. His brother Chaofeng's death is a tragedy and I hope justice is served 
... ICE needs to do better in terms of transparency and communication with detainees 
. It's also worth noting that being held in detention can be super traumatic for people, especially if they don't speak the dominant language 
... maybe we should be focusing on finding ways to support these individuals rather than just criticizing the system 
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the fact that they're being sued over Chaofeng Ge's death is just...wow 
i mean what kind of system allows that? 
anyway, this lawsuit is SO needed for transparency and accountability 
, Yangeng Ge is still trying to get answers about his brother Chaofeng's death which was all shrouded in mystery 
, I mean, what even happened to his brother? 
, it's like they're hiding something 
ICE gotta do better, fam 
. The gov't can't just sweep it under the rug 
. Yangeng Ge's family deserves justice 
. ICE Detention Centers are like prisons for people who don't deserve that 
. We gotta hold our leaders accountable 
. Someone's gotta get to the bottom of this, and I hope it's not just some generic law firm making money off a grieving family.
. And what's up with the circumstances of Chaofeng Ge's death? A cloth around his neck and legs tied behind his back? Sounds like self-inflicted harm to me 
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and not take responsibility for their actions 
. They need answers and accountability, and they deserve it! The government needs to step up their game and treat people with dignity and respect, regardless of where they come from or what language they speak 
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we need more transparency in these detention centers, its just common decency 
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ICE needs to come clean about what happened to Chaofeng Ge. #JusticeForChaofeng #TransparencyNow #ICEAccountability 
. and honestly, can't blame him - it's pretty messed up that the agency just ignored a FOIA request like that 
. but I guess this lawsuit might be a good start for some actual change... maybe 
?