Letter to the editor: Moshannon should be shut down

After several protest events in Phillipsburg around the Moshannon ICE Detention Center, ICE chose to deny Rep. Summer Lee entry to do her job as a congresswomen to inspect federal facilities. The story of being told to wait and then being denied entry is a common occurrence for visitors to Moshannon. It’s not a just way to treat people who drove hours to see their loved ones.

There are serious concerns around Moshannon, run by GEO Group, a Florida publicly traded corporation focused on growth, not humane treatment. Questions abound regarding conditions inside Moshannon, especially with Chaofeng Ge’s recent death by hanging and Frankline Okpu’s death there in 2023. Other humanitarian concerns include inadequate medical care, prolonged detention and limited access to legal representation. People warehoused in Moshannon report that staff withheld food and drink, delayed or denied access to medical treatment, and executed wrongful placements in solitary confinement.

Lee cares enough to make the drive to visit, but why haven’t more Pennsylvania members of Congress done the same? And what does Moshannon have to hide? I urge you to demand that Congress members visit Moshannon and that we shut down this inhumane money grab.

Jayson Massey

Philadelphia