1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I am writing to demand immediate action from Pennsylvania’s elected leadership regarding conditions at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County, operated by GEO Group under contract with ICE. Multiple detainee accounts, recorded tapes, legal clinic reporting, and investigative journalism describe abuse, retaliation, medical neglect, contaminated food, and systemic failure. These are not abstract allegations; they are specific claims of harm occurring in our region—and Pennsylvania officials should not be content to shrug because ICE is the contracting agency. Pennsylvania cannot claim innocence while a facility in our backyard is repeatedly tied to allegations of dehumanizing treatment and basic health and safety failures. State government has tools—oversight hearings, referrals to enforcement agencies, public pressure on county decision-makers, and coordination with state and federal investigators. What the public has not seen is urgency. Delay and silence are choices, and they communicate exactly whose suffering is considered acceptable. A Longstanding Pattern of Violations at Moshannon Valley (Selected Timeline) • 2011–2012 — DOJ findings after catastrophic injury to Timothy Helms Source: Centre Daily Times (DOJ findings summary) • 2013–2016 — Chronic medical neglect and delayed treatment Sources: Prison Legal News • ACLU-PA • 2017–2019 — Retaliation for grievances and unsanitary conditions Sources: PICC • NIJC • 2020 — COVID-19 outbreaks and failure to implement mitigation Sources: ACLU-PA • Detention Watch Network • 2021 — Closure of the federal prison amid longstanding concerns Sources: WPSU/NPR • PICC/ACLU-PA • 2022–2023 — Immediate complaints after ICE reopening Sources: TribLIVE • Pennsylvania Capital-Star • 2023 — Staff misconduct and failures of ICE inspections Sources: Detention Watch Network • NIJC Actions I Am Demanding From Your Offices • Convene a public oversight hearing and require testimony (under oath where applicable) from Clearfield County officials and relevant stakeholders about the county’s role, communications, and oversight regarding Moshannon • Formally request intervention and investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General into any potential criminal conduct, retaliation, fraud, or obstruction tied to conditions at the facility and the handling of complaints • Request immediate review by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and relevant state regulators for any health, sanitation, or communicable-disease failures that may fall within state jurisdiction • Publicly call on Clearfield County to preserve records, halt any “routine disposal,” and cooperate fully with independent investigators and records requests • Demand that DHS/ICE and GEO preserve evidence and provide briefings to your offices (and to the public where possible) regarding inspections, corrective action plans, and complaint handling at Moshannon • Issue a public statement condemning retaliation and affirming that humane treatment and basic safety standards are non-negotiable, regardless of immigration status Respond within 14 days with a written statement confirming what actions you have taken, what referrals you have made, and what responses you have received from county, state, or federal agencies. If you do nothing, you are choosing the outcome—and you will own it.