WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, September 18th, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights (formerly known as CAIR Coalition) filed litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, suing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to disclose records relating to the alleged use of excessive force at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center (Moshannon) in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.

Individuals detained at Moshannon reported an incident of excessive force used by guards against people detained at Moshannon on June 7, 2024, to Amica Center. Immigrants engaged in nonviolent protests at Moshannon against ICE’s recent cost-cutting measures, including eliminating 10 free weekly phone minutes—a vital lifeline to the outside world for indigent noncitizens without access to counsel. In response to these protests, guards at Moshannon allegedly attacked entire groups of people, subjecting them to physical violence, including beatings. pepper spray, and holding a gun to an immigrant’s head, and later to prolonged periods of solitary confinement. None of these events were reported locally or publicly disclosed by Moshannon.

With a capacity of around 1,800 beds, Moshannon is the largest immigration detention center in the Northeast and is operated by The GEO Group, Inc., a for-profit, publicly traded company. There have been numerous reports and complaints regarding horrific conditions at Moshannon, which led to the death of Frankline Okpu in December 2023 and a more recent stabbing incident in August.

On August 2nd, Amica Center filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) with ICE to obtain records that shed light on the violent June 7th incident at Moshannon. These records will allow Amica Center attorneys, other stakeholders, and the public to evaluate whether the conduct of The GEO Group guards and ICE officials violated the rights of immigrants as established by all relevant policies, regulations, and statutes. The records will also improve the public’s understanding of the alleged use of excessive force at Moshannon as one of the many problematic conditions of confinement experienced by people detained in the facility.   

Having received no response from ICE, Amica Center sued ICE on Wednesday, September 18th, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to compel the agency to release the records.

“This FOIA requests critical information not only about the concerning events of June 7th but about ICE’s policies surrounding the use of force and solitary confinement,” said Amelia Dagen, Senior Attorney at Amica Center. “Those policies affect tens of thousands of people currently in ICE detention across the country, including hundreds currently detained at Moshannon and the thousands subject to future detention there. ICE’s unwillingness to disclose these records is reflective of the agency’s practice of shrouding detention in mystery and avoidance of transparency, allowing untold abuses to occur. Lawsuits like these are necessary to shed light on the experiences of those who are detained and add to the long list of reasons why ICE detention should not exist.”