Chinese American family files lawsuit for info on relative who died in ICE custody

GE FAMILY

ICE claims that Chaofeng Ge, above, committed suicide during his detention.

The family of Chaofeng Ge, a Chinese man who died while in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is suing the U.S. government and ICE for a lack of transparency regarding the circumstances of his death.

Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old Chinese citizen from Queens, NY, was found dead on August 5, 2025. Authorities say Ge died by suicide by hanging. However, an independent autopsy found that his hands were tied behind him, raising questions  over the claim of suicide.

"I am (devastated) by the loss of my brother and by the knowledge that he was suffering so greatly in that detention center," Ge's brother ,Yanfeng Ge, said in a statement Nov. 12, adding that he wants answers and accountability.

Ge died at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, a private facility in Pennsylvania operated by the GEO Group. He had been in ICE custody for just five days following a conviction related to credit card fraud.

The lawsuit is the family contends that its  requests for information via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) were ignored by the detention facility operators and ICE. GEO Group runs the facility as a detention center for ICE. Yanfeng Ge said in the suit that GEO did not reach out to the family to explain what happened.

ICE and the Clearfield County coroner reported the death as a suicide by hanging. However, the family's attorney states that an independent autopsy revealed Ge was found not only hanging, but also with his hands and legs tied behind his back, a detail not included in initial ICE reports. This discrepancy is a central point of concern for the family.

The lawsuit alleges that Ge experienced "significant distress" and was isolated because no staff at the facility spoke Mandarin and refused to attempt communication with him, preventing him from expressing his needs or receiving necessary mental health treatment.

“Mr Ge was isolated because no one in the facility could speak Chinese. MVPC staff refused even to try to communicate with him, much less offer him the mental healthcare that he so urgently needed,” the complaint alleged.

The lawsuit highlights concerns over US immigration detention, noting that record-high numbers of people, including a sharp rise in Asian immigrants, are allegedly being held in overcrowded facilities with limited access to medical and mental healthcare.

The lawsuit comes amidst ongoing criticism of the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, with immigration advocates and former detainees reporting "inhumane" and "punitive" conditions, including inadequate medical care and abuse.

An ICE spokesman stated the agency does not comment on pending litigation. The agency had previously released a statement that all in-custody deaths are tragic and thoroughly investigated, and that it is committed to safe and humane environments.

A report by the UCLA Asian-American Studies Centre published in July found that total Asian immigrant arrests nearly tripled from under 700 in 2024 to almost 2,000 between February and May 2025. A majority of those detained came from China, India, and Vietnam.

The report also found that 21 deaths have occurred in ICE custody. Of the people who died, five were of Asian descent.

David B. Rankin, attorney for the Ge family. stated that the government is willing to violate the law to keep information about these centers from the public, and that the lawsuit aims to bring much-needed transparency.

"People are dying and our government doesn't have the common decency to offer the family any explanation, it's appalling," said Rankin.

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ICE deports two of the detained Sikh hunger strikers

ASAM NEWS

Two Sikhs who have been on hunger strike at a detention facility in El Paso have been deported, according to the civil rights group, South Asian Americans Leading Together.
They were a part of a group of nine Sikhs known as the El Paso 9 who have been on hunger strike since at least the beginning of the year. The 9 are seeking asylum.

SAALT says that Amrit Singh, an uncle of two of the El Paso 9 who remain at the facility, was notified of the deportation early Thursday.

AsAmNews was not independently able to confirm the deportations.

“We are outraged by this development,” said Lakshmi Sridaran of SAALT. “The men who were deported yesterday were in no physical condition to travel – much less to a country where their lives are already endangered. The inhumane treatment of individuals in detention facilities across the U.S. is unconscionable. The remaining individuals in the El Paso facility must be released immediately and given adequate medical attention.”

On Valentine’s Day, a court ordered ICE to stop force feeding the hunger strikers in what was considered a victory by supporters of the El Paso 9. However, some of the 9 remain on hunger strike.

“Deportation continues to be used as a final and cruel form of retaliation by ICE to target individuals who have witnessed and speak out against abusive treatment and violation of civil rights,” said Jennifer Apodaca of Detained Migrant Solidarity Network . 

“ICE continues its practice of evading accountability by deporting individuals to ensure that those with critical information are gone, essentially erasing evidence. We demand that all deportations be halted immediately until the full set of information is made public.”